Announcing NikNak’s Ice Cream: An Ice Cream Shop for Everyone

Every day when Niki Curott opens NikNak’s Ice Cream she’s not just opening the door to sell ice cream.  She’s opening the door to a safe, welcoming, and homey haven for the families in the Powell community, including those with food allergies.

From the moment you walk in the door, you can see Niki’s all about taking care of her customers. In fact, if you ask her the best thing about owning her own business, she’ll tell you it’s seeing parents crying because their child who has a food allergy finally gets to enjoy ice cream. Niki’s such a natural at this, you’d think she has been running her own ice cream business for years.

But she hasn’t. In fact, in 2022 when Niki first began thinking of owning her own business, ice cream wasn’t even on her mind. It was music.

“I really wanted to open up a music venue because I love live music,” she recalls.

But like so many other entrepreneurs, Niki’s first idea just didn’t fit. The liability was too great, and the atmosphere was not one she wanted for her kids. But this self-proclaimed “Navy Seal brat” wasn’t about to let her dream of owning her own business die.

While visiting her family in Virginia Beach and spending time at her sister’s ice cream shop Niki’s dream finally came to life. It wasn’t music; it was ice cream.

But it wasn’t just any ice cream shop. It was an ice cream shop where those who couldn’t usually enjoy this delectable treat now could. Niki’s sister focused on providing allergy-free products in addition to regular ice cream because of her daughter’s severe nut allergy.

That idea resonated with Niki because of her own son’s dairy allergy.  After some deep soul searching and with the encouragement of her sister, father and boyfriend, Niki had a plan. She worked side jobs and saved until finally she was ready to make the leap. In November 2023, Niki rented space in Powell. Her dream was on its way to becoming reality. Only a few short months later in March 2024, NikNak’s Ice Cream had its grand opening.

The first thing you notice when walking into NikNak’s is how bright and cheery the space is. But immediately after that, your eyes are drawn to the ice cream. After all, that’s what you come to an ice cream shop for.

NikNak’s Ice Cream carries Hershey ice cream because of its high quality and allergy-free offerings. But don’t worry, there are plenty of choices for those of us who don’t have allergies.

If you’re a chocoholic, like me, in search of your next chocolate hit, you might want to try the Better Brownie Batter: “luxurious brownie batter ice cream with rich fudge swirls and loaded with bits of real brownies.” Or maybe you’d rather stick to an old favorite: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

There’s always my current favorite: Roadrunner Raspberry. It’s “premium white chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirls and raspberry filled chocolate cups”. I took a pint home and hubby, my youngest son, and I scarfed it up. You can bet I’ll get two pints the next time.  

Not a fan of chocolate? Not a problem.  How about Banana Pudding, Deep Dish Apple Pie or Orange Blossom? More of an ice cream purist? There’s always vanilla or you could try the strawberry with chunks of real strawberries.

If you’re watching your calories or can’t have sugar, they have a strawberry with reduced fat and no sugar added. If you need something gluten free.. what about Green Mint Chip or Midnight Caramel River? And if you need dairy-free ice cream, NikNak’s has got you covered with Simply Vanilla or Chocolate Chunk. There are also plenty of nut free options.

And those are just some of the flavors. You can find a complete listing of ice cream flavors here. Just a note. Some of these ice creams are seasonal and Niki does rotate flavors out so if you’re reading this three months from now, the flavors may be different. But they’re all scrumptious.

If you’re like me and you simply can’t decide what flavor you want, you can always get an Ice Cream Flight. Or as one of NikNak’s customers dubbed it…the NikNak six pack.

It’s six…count them…. six scoops of ice cream. You can get all one flavor or do like I did and get six different flavors. Please don’t judge….I did take it home and share it with hubby and the youngest son. It was fun trying all those different flavors and deciding on our favorites. Right now, Roadrunner Raspberry is still on top.

In addition, NikNak’s has Milkshakes, a Cold Brew Shake (I’m trying that one next), Floats, Slushes, Sundaes, and Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches. My favorite treat is Ice Cream Nachos. That’s two scoops of your choice of ice cream with these delectably crunchy waffle cone wafers; yummy, whipped cream, and your choice of caramel or hot fudge.  I just want to say I did not share this one.

NikNak’s now has online ordering, so if you want to pick up a pint of ice cream on your way home, you can now order it so it’s ready when you get there. You can access online ordering here.

While NikNak’s has some absolutely delectable ice cream, it isn’t just another ice cream shop. Niki wanted to provide a place where her customers could sit, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. She wanted to foster relationships and establish connectivity instead of the constant dependency on our phones.

To do that, NikNak’s provides plenty of space for customers to sit and just enjoy each other’s company. There’s also a game room with old school 2-player games like Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat where moms or dads can come in and play with their kids.

In addition, she hosts a game night on Monday night. It’s nothing formal….Niki just lays out games on the table that families can play. All of this is done to foster the kind of relationships that she remembers from her childhood.

And what I really love about NikNak’s Ice Cream is that they stay open later in the evening. That’s great for date night.  Hubby and I can go get dinner and then come in afterward for dessert.

Niki’s customers appreciate her attention to their needs. For some of her customers, it’s the first time they’ve been able to enjoy a milkshake in years.

Couples thank her for giving them a place where they can have a date night without paying for a babysitter. And friends love coming to her shop for a book club or Bible study.  

And the ultimate compliment …. the teenagers who come in for ice cream and end up hanging out with their friends…with not a single phone in sight.

Fall is here and so is NikNak’s Fall Drink Menu which includes a Cold Brew Pumpkin Milkshake and an Oatmeal Cream Pie Milkshake. In addition, Niki is working on a hand-crafted hot chocolate drink.

To support other small businesses, she sources as many products locally as possible. This includes coffee from Coffee and Chocolate and her cookies for her ice cream cookie sandwiches from Wrenhouse Bakery.

As I said earlier, NikNak’s Ice Cream has plenty of space which means Niki can pursue the rest of her dream. She wants to bring back a place where you can host your birthday parties, showers, and anniversary parties just like people did when she was growing up. NikNak’s has a large room that’s great for parties, team-building, and meetings. You can find more information about that here.

In addition, if you’re interested in having an ice cream bar at your wedding, you can contact Niki here. Oh, and make sure to invite me…..

NikNak’s Ice Cream is located at 3537 West Emory Road in Powell’s Place. It’s open Monday-Friday 3-9pm and Saturday and Sunday 1-9pm. Because hours may change based on the season, please check Instagram for current hours.

When I first asked Niki to tell me about herself, she replied by saying she was a single mom. She is that. And like most of us moms, that is her priority.

But Niki is so much more than that. She is a compassionate woman who wants to provide treats to people who haven’t been able to have them for years. She is a gutsy determined lady who is willing to work 80 and 100 hours a week to make her dream come true.

And finally, she is a lady whose dream is to provide a homey place for the families in Powell and beyond. In fact, you can tell how much Niki wants the community to find a place here when she says: “It’s been a great start; the community has been amazing….I hope people like my shop. I hope they enjoy themselves here.”

Well, for this writer…let me say this. I love NikNak’s Ice Cream and I’m planning on spending a lot of time here with my family and friends. And I hope you will too.

Have you been to NikNak’s Ice Cream? If so, comment below with your favorite ice cream treat.

Make sure to check back here often where we will be featuring other small businesses.