Lolley’s Ice Cream, a Monument favorite, is expanding to downtown Colorado Springs.

The expansion means growth for a business that was born somewhat by happenstance. Shop owners Shelley and Dustin Sapp moved to Monument in 2017. They couldn’t shake the feeling that the town was missing a spot where people could hang out, enjoy a sweet treat and let their kids run free as they burn the sugar off.

Shelley was, at the same time, trying to track down a specific cinnamon- flavored ice cream she’d discovered while they couple raised their four kids in Indianapolis.

“When we moved out here in 2017, I couldn’t find it,” she said. “We went to all the ice cream places and couldn’t find something similar. So we got a tiny little Cuisinart and I started messing around.”

Guided by the book “Hello, my Name is Ice Cream,” the Sapps filled the days of the COVID-19 pandemic with ice cream experimentation. They ultimately made a “killer dupe” of the illusive cinnamon, Shelley said, adding that this became the base for their signature flavor Graham Slam.

What started as a pandemic hobby soon evolved into a brick and mortar location the Sapps opened in 2021. Monument has embraced the spot wholeheartedly, the two said.

The shop has sparked traditions in the town of 13,000 people, Dustin said. 

“It’s a place where kids come for milestones, it’s a place where people come on first dates, they come after they get a tooth out at the dentist,” he said “There are traditions that they’ve built up around the first day of school, the last day of school. Every time this event happens, we go to Lolley’s.” 

All of Lolley’s ice cream is gluten-free, as are all the additions. 

“We’ll have folks come in here and ask, ‘What can I get that’s gluten-free in your shop,’” said Dustin. When customers hear they can have “everything” on the menu, he said they’ve broken down into tears.

“They’ve never had cookie dough ice cream before, they’ve never had a waffle cone, so yeah, it’s important (to offer),” he said. 

None of their creations use artificial flavors or dyes, they said. In one amusing example, the couple said they tried to concoct a green dye for mint ice cream but ended up with sludge that wasn’t usable. Their mint ice cream still tastes like mint ice cream should, but it is white, prompting questions from confused customers.

Some have asked for sugar-free ice cream, but the couple has not found a solid solution for that yet. But they said they are working on it. 

In downtown Colorado Springs, Lolley’s will be moving into what used to be the real estate offices of Berkshire Hathaway Rocky Mountain Realtors at 216 N. Tejon St. The space is about 1,750 square feet, bigger than the Monument location at about 1,100 square feet, according to the El Paso County Assessor’s Office. 

“The investment (the Downtown Partnership) is making into a family-oriented downtown, I think that was a big draw for us, and it’s something we’re really excited about playing a part in,” Dustin said.

Some work was required to transform the building into an ice cream shop, but by and large it was a smooth process, the two said. Their contractor preserved an original tin ceiling, and on one side of the unit is an exposed brick wall that both agree is “really cool.” 

“We’re hoping to put some benches in the front so people can enjoy out in the front,” said Shelley. “But what’s unique about our space is it’s not as deep as some of the others, so we have a space in the back that we’re going to do a little covered seating area.” 

There will be “plenty” of indoor seating as well, Shelley added.

The Sapps are hoping to have a soft opening sometime this month, with a grand opening in May. The best place to get updates on their progress is the company Instagram and Facebook accounts, the two said.

They plan to have 15 to 16 of Lolley’s “signature” flavors, slightly more than at the Monument location. In addition, there will be four to six seasonal flavors throughout the year. Their seasonal flavors are often made in conjunction with the community, selected through a March Madness style bracket shared with customers, they said. 

The two selected the name “Lolley’s” because they hope their grandkids will call them “Lolley & Pop,” Shelley said.

“We always envisioned Lolley’s kitchen as the place where they’d be spoiled with treats, and that idea became the heart of the brand,” she said.

Lolley’s will not have the ice cream market to itself downtown; other shops include Josh & John’s and Frozen Gold.