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Business

Locally Sourced Ice Cream Shop Opens in Columbia Falls

Sweet Retreat Creamery, located off of Highway 2, opened in early August

By Maggie Dresser
A scoop of “Cookie Monster” ice cream from Sweet Retreat Creamery ice cream shop in Columbia Falls on Aug. 31, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

When Bruce Crocket and Lee Davis decided to go into business together in the Flathead Valley, they knew they wanted to fill a culinary void in Columbia Falls, which prompted them to open Sweet Retreat Creamery in August.

The business partners had minimal experience making ice cream or working in the food service industry, so they traveled to Missouri to attend a custom course at Scoop School, to learn how to make the dessert along with the best business practices. 

After learning that the ice cream base was the most important aspect of the product, Crockett and Davis began sourcing from Kalispell Kreamery, which has the sweet spot of 14% to 16% butterfat content. From there, they began experimenting with a variety of flavors, sauces, berries and cookies to add. 

Bruce Crockett and Lee Davis, two of the co-owners of Sweet Retreat Creamery ice cream shop in Columbia Falls on Aug. 31, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
Double mint chocolate ice cream from Sweet Retreat Creamery ice cream shop in Columbia Falls on Aug. 31, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Now, Sweet Retreat has 11 flavors of ice cream and one dairy free sorbet, including a java, cookie monster flavor with Oreos and cookie dough, birthday cake, maple bourbon butter pecan and huckleberry cheesecake. 

“There’s enough huckleberry ice cream in the valley, but nobody has a huckleberry cheesecake,” Crockett said. 

Crockett and Davis try to source as much local product as they can, but they also source pecans from their home state of Mississippi to add hometown roots to some of their flavors. 

With rotating flavors every month, a chuckleberry flavor was recently added to the menu, combining locally sourced Flathead cherries and huckleberries, some of which their families picked. 

Sweet Retreats will remain open during the winter and Crockett and Davis will start serving warm Dutch pancakes to pair with the ice cream and milkshakes this fall. The shop currently has no employees besides Crockett’s and Davis’ family members and they plan to maintain a simple business. 

Lee Davis scoops Aria Ross an ice cram cone at Sweet Retreat Creamery ice cream shop in Columbia Falls on Aug. 31, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon
Salted caramel ice cream from Sweet Retreat Creamery ice cream shop in Columbia Falls on Aug. 31, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Crockett says the business has received positive support from the community, with many customers saying an ice cream shop was needed in Columbia Falls. 

“We’ve had so many people say ‘We’re so glad you’re finally here,’” Crockett said. “We’ve had a few that said if we didn’t start an ice cream shop, they were going to start one.” 

Both originally from Mississippi, Crockett moved to the Flathead Valley to start Gateway Church in Columbia Falls, where he is a pastor, and Davis moved to the Flathead this past winter. 

“We wanted to support our ministry but also be a blessing to the community,” Davis said. “Ice cream always puts a smile on people’s faces.” 

Sweet Retreat Creamery is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is located at 734 Ninth Street West in Columbia Falls.

For more information, visit Sweet Retreat Creamery on Facebook or call (406) 290-9753.