Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opening August 9th in South End —9 insider details to know

It’ll be located in the jewel box in front of Design Center on Camden Road, just around the corner from Superica, the new hot Tex-Mex restaurant.

This will also mark the first Jeni’s location in North Carolina.

Here’s the scoop on Jeni’s Ice Creams — 9 things to know

(1) Founder Jeni Britton Bauer will be in town to celebrate the grand opening Jeni’s South End offering up free ice cream

Jeni plans on being in Charlotte to offer free scoops to everybody in line and swag bags to the first 50 people in line.

Founded in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio, Jeni’s is known for fun, interesting and often extremely unusual flavor combinations and smooth, rich ice cream with a buttercream base. Not the best place for those on a diet, this ice cream chain prioritizes high quality ingredients and avoids dyes, synthetic flavoring and pre-made mixes.

Jeni did an awesome podcast on NPR’s “How I Built This” if you’re interested in the founding story.

(2) You can get a taste early —  Jeni’s Treats Truck is coming to Charlotte

Their ice cream truck will be in Charlotte from July 23 through August 13th. It will be making stops throughout our city offering a sneak peek into their ice cream flavors and generating buzz for the store.

(3) Jeni’s does all of the classic ice cream flavors really well – and with a twist

Instead of generic vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Jeni’s offers these classic flavors with a twist.

Jeni’s chocolate ice cream is called “Darkest Chocolate,” and it is has a very deep brown hue and, according to the sign on the glass, “the most amount of Fair Trade-Certified cocoa possible and the least amount of anything else.” This rich chocolate decadence literally melts in your mouth with a creamy, yet dry finish.

Pair it with “Ndali Estate Vanilla,” Jeni’s take on the classic vanilla bean. The vanilla in this ice cream hails from a Ugandan Fair Trade estate named “Ndali,” and it brings a bold vanilla flavor with a hint of smokiness.

This traditional pair is anything but boring.

(4) Jeni’s excels at the crazy flavors

If you like trying crazy flavor combinations with unusual names, then you are in for a treat. Jeni’s offers unique flavors like the jarringly purple-colored, yet creamily delicious “Wildberry Lavender,” which combines a powerful fruity flavor with a lavender aroma.

Or, “Ricotta Toast with Red Berry Geranium Jam,” which tastes exactly like its name and even includes crumbs of toasty bread and sweet clusters of strawberry and raspberry jam.

Another fun flavor is “Goat Cheese with Red Cherries,” which is essentially cheesecake in ice cream form with a tart edge from the cherries.

And, then there is “Sweet Cream,” which tastes silky and intensely rich like frozen whipped cream and which is the perfect complement to the more outlandish flavors.

(5) You can have Intelligentsia coffee outside of Chicago or Los Angeles

Every time I visit Chicago and L.A., I head straight to Intelligentsia Coffee for a cup of bold and intense java. Unfortunately, Intelligentsia does not have coffee shops in the South, but you can get the same strong coffee flavor at Jeni’s.

Jeni’s “Coffee with Cream & Sugar” ice cream pairs that memorable Intelligentsia coffee taste with Jeni’s favorite “Sweet Cream,” producing a mellow, yet complex flavor.

(6) At Jeni’s, you can eat your cocktails

Jeni’s has several delicious cocktail-inspired ice creams, including the bright, tart “Frosé Sorbet,” which is a Sangria-style frozen blend of rosé, pear, strawberry and watermelon. This refreshing cocktail on a cone is perfect for those hot summer days.

“Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet” is another option with an alcoholic twist. This ice cream blends pear flavor (and texture) with a hint of sweet Riesling wine. What could be better than ice cream spiked with wine?

(7) The Jeni’s logo is really photogenic for all of those Instagram shots

If, like me, you love sharing your foodie adventures with your followers, you will love holding your cone in front of the highly Instagrammable vibrant orange Jeni’s logo.

At the Jeni’s in West Midtown in Atlanta, the Jeni’s logo is painted prominently on a brick wall – perfect for staging an Instagram photo shoot.

(8) Jeni’s cones are homemade and baked daily on site

The inside of Jeni’s standalone stores smells like sugary baked goods because Jeni’s makes waffle cones daily throughout the day. Their cones are often fresh off the griddle, warm and crispy, making them the perfect accessory to any of Jeni’s flavors.

Furthermore, kids will enjoy watching the experienced Jeni’s cone makers pour the batter into the griddles and produce perfect waffle cones.

(9) Jeni’s celebrates your birthday… for free

At the counter, there is a special little red sign that reads, “Is today your birthday? Happy Birthday! Ice Cream is on us!” Celebrate your birthday at Jeni’s, and you can enjoy a free cone.

Jeni’s is not cheap, so this is an easy way to enjoy Jeni’s at a discount on someone’s special day.

Given their brand, quality and South End location, I expect Jeni’s to immediately compete for best ice cream shop in Charlotte with Golden Cow, Two Scoops, Elizabeth Creamery and Ninety’s.