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Our ‘Ample Hills’ update: One more day before the grand re-opening

This time, ‘Ample Hills’ of ice cream are promised
Community Newspaper Group / Daniel Ng

The “grand re-opening” has been put off for another day.

Fans waiting for today’s return of the Ample Hills Creamery, which famously closed four days after it opened last month after customers cleaned it out of all 130 gallons of fancy ice cream, will have to wait until Wednesday, as owner Ben Smith wants to make certain that he can handle the invading hoardes this time.

“It’s good, we’re rolling along,” said Smith, as he rushed to make an expected 270 gallons before re-opening day. “We’ve got about 21 flavors made with three more to go. We’ve got new flavors as well like a lemon ginger sorbet and a coconut sorbet. We’re just plugging away.”

Nearby, a machine rumbled as it churned Smith’s vanilla mix into ice cream that he’ll later stud with maple-glaze bacon bits.

Meanwhile, employee Caroline Glass stirred up a new batch of salted caramel topping, the key ingredient in last month’s runaway hit, the aptly named Salted Crack Caramel.

Smith has also employed extra help by hiring more hands in the past week and trained the entire staff.

“Before, it was just me making ice cream, but now I’ve got people helping,” said Smith, a former science-fiction writer. “The four days we were open were crazy. I planned to have two people serving and myself making [the ice cream]. But we ended up having three working constantly at the counter. Lines were 20 people deep for six to eight hours everyday. It overwhelmed us very literally.”

So for now, at least, a noon Wednesday opening is planned. And this time, Smith plans to stay open for more than four days.

Ample Hills Creamery [623 Vanderbilt Ave. at St. Marks Avenue, (347) 240-3926].

The just-opened Ample Hills Creamery on Vanderbilt Avenue at St. Marks Avenue has already run out of ice cream.
Community Newspaper Group / Daniel Ng