Chill out foodies, and show some love for craft ice cream

Grand Rapids will soon be home to Love's Ice Cream, a purveyor of hand-crafted ice cream made from local, organic, grass grazed dairy.

The business will debut in the Downtown Market this summer and is the second act from Chris McKellar, who sold his tech and marketing firm, then took a year off to figure a way to combine his love for the local food scene with a solid business model.

McKellar explains the genesis of Love's Ice Cream. "It's a brand new startup. It arose out some unique circumstances in my life. I have a passion for real food and local grown ingredients. I love craft beer, but wanted to do something different, so I decided on creating craft ice cream in small batches."

Preparing for the July 1 opening, McKellar says he is developing the business and working through recipes, developing relationships with suppliers, and preparing for all health department requirements. "Besides dairy ice cream, we will have vegan options, sorbet, and baked goods. We are still figuring out what the core flavors will be, but (we) probably will have five seasonal flavors and 1-2 experimental flavors."

In his year hiatus, McKellar also went to culinary school to learn more about food from a chef's perspective, so look for something interesting with Love's. "There will be unique flavors -- fresh herbs and different components -- not to be weird, but to challenge perceptions." McKellar is also quick to point out that he will still feature tried and true flavors such as chocolate and mint chip.

If you love ice cream, McKellar also says that he anticipates having 4-6 jobs to support his venture, but with one major requirement. "You need a real interest in people, but most importantly (you must) know about the product -- how it is made, the entire process."

Besides the foray into craft ice cream, McKellar is also the co-founder of the Grand Rapids Cooking School, which is based in the Uptown Kitchen. 

To learn more about Love's Ice Cream, the best way is to follow their Facebook page.

Source: Chris McKellar, Love's Ice Cream
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor