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    Made-to-Order Ice Cream Sandwich Shop Coming to Italian Village

    Customers will soon be building the ice cream sandwiches of their dreams at S’Wich Social as the Italian Village ice cream shop nears its grand opening.

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    Although an ice cream shop first and foremost, S’Wich Social is focused on one particular treat – build-your-own ice cream sandwiches. S’Wich does not take options lightly. The menu features 10 plus cookie options, over a dozen ice cream flavors and a myriad of toppings to finish the whole thing off.

    Opening an ice cream shop in late fall in the middle of a global pandemic isn’t quite what Co-Owners Sean Whited and Addison Brown had in mind when they started getting serious about their idea last fall.

    The entrepreneurially-spirited friends met at OSU. Growing up, Whited watched as his mom and her friend ran a dessert business, putting him in frequent, close proximity to desserts and on the path to an ice cream obsession.

    He and Brown had been toying around with different ideas when they decided to zero-in on an ice cream shop. Tweaking the idea for a few months, things were finally coming together when the pandemic struck.

    Original plans called for a May opening.

    “You want to open an ice cream shop as the summer is starting,” Whited says. “Very quickly we realized that that wasn’t going to happen.”

    Photo provided by S’Wich Social

    While the pandemic slowed down their plans, the duo say it also forced them to get creative – hence the shift to pop-ups for the summer.

    Waiting for the build out of their brick-and-mortar at 869 N. Fourth St., S’Wich Social started popping up around town. They visited breweries like Land-Grant and Seventh Son and made regular appearances at Jeffrey Park and the German Village Makers Market.

    Addison and Whited would tweak the menu every week, giving them a chance to try out different flavors. Frequently selling out, they saw many customers make repeat visits for their favorite creations.

    Whited says the pandemic also gave them plenty of time to work on their cookie recipes. Much of the quarantine was spent baking.

    When the shop opens, S’Wich Social will make all of their cookies and baked goods in-house, baked fresh daily.

    “Our cookies are made for ice cream sandwiches,” Whited says. Developed with their ice cream pairing capabilities in mind, the cookies are soft and chewy, yet stand up in sandwich form.

    S’Wich Social’s cookie lineup includes classics – chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, funfetti sugar, etc. – and the indulgent – chocolate coffee pretzel, M&M/Oreo/sprinkles, glazed donut, etc.

    For their ice cream, S’wich Social is sourcing from Madison, Wisconsin based Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream.

    “We wanted to go with the absolute best ice cream that we could possibly find,” Whited says.

    There is, again, a range of flavors, from old fashioned vanilla, strawberry and Ultimate Oreo, to This $&@! Just Got Serious, Mint Avalanche and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang.

    A chocolate chip cookie, Mint Avalanche ice cream (mint ice cream with Andes mints, Grasshopper cookies and a chocolate fudge swirl) combo rolled in more Oreos is an early founder favorite. Another suggested pairing is the chocolate toffee pretzel cookie with This $&@! Just Got Serious –  salted caramel ice cream with sea salt fudge and salted cashews.

    There will be some seasonality to the menu in both cookie and ice cream flavors, as well as vegan and dairy-free options.

    “We want to accommodate as many customers as we can,” Whited says.

    When the shop opens, Brown equates it to a fast-casual, build-your-own ice cream experience. Limited seats will be available, but most folks will take their treats for the road. And, for the truly grab-and-go crowd, S’Wich Social will offer some pre-made sandwiches featuring top flavor combos.

    Located across the street from Woodhouse Vegan and catty-corner from Hoof Hearted, Addison and Whited are excited to be joining the growing number of local establishments that have found a home in Italian Village – and add a sweet-treat option neighborhood.

    If all goes according to plan, S’Wich Social will open in November. Brown says with a few months of experience under their belts, they’ll really be ready for the warm-weather crowds next spring.

    For more information, visit swichsocial.com.

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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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