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Be a part of the 'Savor Ice Cream' Dream!

Help give our community an artisan, organic, gluten-free, local & seasonal ice cream shop with dairy & vegan flavors!

$18,505
pledged of$25,000 goal
173
0Days Left

Project Description

If you’ve ever had the thought, "I wish there was an ice cream shop in Chico that..."
  • Crafted flavors with the seasons, in collaboration with local farmers, producers, and chefs...
  • Was exclusively gluten-free so I could enjoy cones, mix-ins, and cookies...
  • Made vegan ice cream AND vegan cones...
  • Made unique and delicious ice cream that I would fully enjoy eating...
… then Savor Ice Cream is for you!
Three blocks of photos - far left shows a close-up of a white pint container with the words "Salted Caramel ice cream" on the front; the middle photo shows a birds-eye view of pint containers open next to bowls and an ice cream scoop; the right photo shows a close-up of a silver ice cream scoop holding a scoop of dark pink Santa Rosa Plum ice cream.
OUR STORY:

Since our first experience with artisan ice cream in 2013, we have recognized the need for an artisan ice cream shop in Chico that is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and uses organic and local ingredients. This “need” turned into a hobby of making and sharing homemade ice cream with friends at community potlucks, which then grew into a dream of someday opening an ice cream shop.

Over the past eight years, our recipes were perfected, our children became official taste testers, and we awaited the day we could create a special space to share ice cream with our community. 

That day has come! Savor Ice Cream is on its way this Summer (as a scoop shop!) in Meriam Park - Chico, CA!

photo of founder and owner, Shenlyn, holding an ice cream cone, happily smiling with her head tilted to the side
WHO IS SAVOR ICE CREAM?

Hello, everyone! I’m Shenlyn (she/her) -- founder, owner, and ice cream chef at Savor. My husband, Martin (he/him), and I have shared the dream of starting an ice creamery for the past eight years. This dream has evolved alongside our family, weaving its way around other passions, careers, life events, and our babies growing into now 8- and 6-year-olds. When I say “we” in posts and discussions about Savor, it is because this dream, this journey, and this business is a shared, collective experience; with Martin and our children, our future Savor Ice Cream team, and all our amazing friends and family who have supported us along the way.

I am a former educator, recently retired from teaching preschool for eleven years. Savor is my first experience building a business and it has been a fun challenge, to say the least! I owe so much of my growth, learning, and success to friends who own small, local businesses (many of whom are women in the food industry), the guidance of consultants at the Butte College Small Business Development Center, the Gonzales Development Co. team at Meriam Park, and all my beloved friends and family. It is an honor and a blessing to create Savor "from scratch" in a town full of people that support and embody "community over competition."

3 photo blocks - Left: Blurry photo of woman holding a cone, in focus, with pink Santa Rosa Plum ice cream; Middle: photo of three white, vegan pint containers stacked, two on the bottom and one on top, with a light pink background; Right: a young boy with long blond hair sits on a patio table, trees in the background, eating out of a half pint container, with a silver spoon.
OUR MISSION:

At Savor, all our ice cream, cones, and most of our mix-ins are made by hand, from scratch, using high quality ingredients (that are organic and as local as possible). Our flavors are unique and seasonally-inspired, everything is 100% gluten-free, and our approach to crafting ice cream could be described as "farm-to-cone." With both dairy and vegan flavors (which are made on separate, dedicated equipment), we’re sure to have a flavor for you AND your loved ones!

With our business and our approach to crafting ice cream, we are committed to: 

  • partnering with local food makers and farmers for the freshest ice cream
  • sourcing, creating, and selling our products in ways that are rooted in sustainability, environmental and social justice, the well-being of our employees, and the health of our local community
  • ensuring ingredient transparency so all customers feel safe in enjoying our products
  • investing in our community by providing fair wages for our employees; buying locally; and donating a portion of our profits every month to local food banks, housing shelters, community programs, youth centers, schools, equity organizations, and land back initiatives
3 photo blocks
OUR REQUEST:

To help us open our doors to the public, we are using crowdfunding to raise money for startup costs. 

Our crowdfunding goal of $25,000 on IFundWomen will be used for:

--working capital that will help our business get started (to pay employees, cover utilities, make inventory purchases, and more)

--purchasing furniture, fixtures, and equipment (from the register to the waffle cone maker to patio umbrellas so your ice cream doesn't melt too fast on those hot Summer days)

When you contribute to this crowdfunding (with any amount) you will become a 'Financial Founder' of Savor Ice Cream! As a physical “thank you” for the incredible community support, we have product rewards so you can enjoy some sweetness for your generosity.

3 photo blocks
OUR GRATITUDE:

Thank you, so very much, for any and all the ways you support this dream. Reading these words, contributing financially to our crowdfunding campaign, sharing and spreading the word to friends, planning a trip to our shop when we’re officially open-- we appreciate every ounce of support you give us! 

When you give to our crowdfunding and buy ice cream from us in the future, you are directly supporting our small, woman-owned family business and ensuring money stays in our local economy. Directly supporting us means indirectly supporting other local businesses -- farmers, makers, and small businesses like Chico Chai, Alvarado Farms, Chico Natural Foods Co-Op, Daycamp Coffee, and more!

Thank you for helping Savor Ice Cream grow into a successful business that will bring delicious, artisan ice cream and lots of sweetness -- both tasted and felt-- to our wonderful community. We're here because of you. 

The Campaign FAQs

QUESTIONS ABOUT CROWDFUNDING & REWARDS:

How does the process work if I want to contribute?

  • The process is quick and easy! Choose a "Contribution Amount (with reward)" or "Monetary Donation" on the right-hand side of our page, then follow the prompts to contribute.
  • Any contribution you make will be immediately donated to us -- we chose IFundWomen in part because they allow us to keep any funds raised, whether or not we meet our funding goal. All funds raised from this crowdfunding campaign will help us cover startup costs for our business and shop! :)

When can I redeem my reward?

  • Most of our rewards from each reward level can be redeemed as soon as we officially open our shop.
  • The "soft opening party tickets" will be sent to you via your preferred method of communication and updates on the date of the party will be sent in the same manner.
  • The "Savor Ice Cream Party" reward is subject to being available once we are officially open AND at our discretion due to staffing, training, etc. We will do our best to honor this reward if your event is close to the time we open, but we cannot guarantee a specific timeline.

Can I give you a donation (check or cash) directly instead of through this page?

 

QUESTIONS ABOUT SAVOR ICE CREAM:

What does "Savor" mean?

  • We chose the name "Savor" because it represents our intention to allow the journey of our lives (and our business) to unfold with small, daily acts of being fully present. To slow down and enjoy each moment-- individually and together. To sit with a taste, a feeling, or an experience and savor the delight, luxury, and joy it holds. 

How do you pronounce "savor"?

  • "Savor" rhymes with "flavor."

Where will the Savor Ice Cream shop be located?

  • Our official address is 1905 Notre Dame Boulevard, Suite 100 -- in the Tank District of Meriam Park. We're a corner shop on the first floor of the three-story Andrés Building, which is on the corner of Notre Dame Boulevard and Market Place. We're directly next to Burban Kitchen, a wonderful New American restaurant and cocktail bar. We're also close neighbors with our friends at Live Life Juice, Plant Love, Daycamp Coffee, and The Pilates Barre.

What exactly will be gluten-free in your shop?

  • Everything. Literally. Cones. Cookies. Ice cream. Mix-ins. Toppings. You name it -- ALL gluten-free!

What are your vegan flavors made with?

  • Our vegan "ice cream" flavors have a base of organic fair-trade coconut milk and organic fair-trade cane sugar. All of our vegan flavors will be made on dedicated equipment, separate from our dairy flavors. Daily, we will have 4-5 vegan flavors available as scoops, with take-home pints available, too!

Will you have a cane sugar-free / non-sweetened flavor?

  • We are currently experimenting with this concept. So far, we're considering a chocolate, date-based vegan flavor. We also have a handful of honey-only dairy flavors (such as Honey Vanilla, Honey Lavender, Sage & Honey) that will be in the rotation throughout the seasons.





 

Amy & Todd
07/06/2022
Founder Level 2: Two Pints
$50
Katarra Shaw
07/05/2022
Founder Level 2: Two Pints
$50
07/02/2022
Founder Level 2: Two Pints
$50
Emma Ruth
07/02/2022
Founder Level 1: Single Scoop
$25
07/01/2022
Founder Level 4: Double The Works!
$200
Omar Al-Shafie
07/01/2022
Founder Level 3: The Works
$100
Curran Fam
06/30/2022
Founder Level 4: Double The Works!
$200
Dee Beskeen
06/28/2022
Founder Level 2: Two Pints
$50
Liberty Barber Company
06/28/2022
Founder Level 3: The Works
$100
Sophie January
06/27/2022
Founder Level 1: Single Scoop
$25
25.00 USD
Founder Level 1: Single Scoop

This reward gets you:

  • a free "single scoop" from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
28 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Founder Level 2: Two Pints

This reward gets you:

  • two free pints of your choosing from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
55 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Founder Level 3: The Works

This reward gets you:

  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • two free "single scoops" AND two free pints from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
55 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Founder Level 4: Double The Works!

This reward gets you:

  • FOUR invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • FOUR free "single scoops" and FOUR free pints from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
23 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Founder Level 5: Savor Pint Club

This reward gets you:

  • two free pints per month, for a year (24 total pints) from our shop when we're officially open
  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
5 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Founder Level 6: Savor Ice Cream Party!

This reward gets you:

  • Savor Ice Cream at your party, celebration, or event: free catered scoops, cones, and fixings for up to 40 people
  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
2 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Chico, CA
Created 1 Campaign
Lifestyle

Rewards

25.00 USD
Founder Level 1: Single Scoop

This reward gets you:

  • a free "single scoop" from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
28 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Founder Level 2: Two Pints

This reward gets you:

  • two free pints of your choosing from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
55 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Founder Level 3: The Works

This reward gets you:

  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • two free "single scoops" AND two free pints from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
55 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Founder Level 4: Double The Works!

This reward gets you:

  • FOUR invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • FOUR free "single scoops" and FOUR free pints from our shop when we're officially open
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
23 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Founder Level 5: Savor Pint Club

This reward gets you:

  • two free pints per month, for a year (24 total pints) from our shop when we're officially open
  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
5 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Founder Level 6: Savor Ice Cream Party!

This reward gets you:

  • Savor Ice Cream at your party, celebration, or event: free catered scoops, cones, and fixings for up to 40 people
  • two invitations to our private soft opening party!
  • your name added to our "Financial Founders" plaque, which will be proudly displayed in our shop
2 Supporters
Select this reward