Editor’s Note: We spoke with Sarah Gleba, the owner of A Better Scoop Ice Cream Shoppe (ABS) and The Arctic Alligator Creamery (AAC) with her husband Kevin. ABS is located at 70 S. Indiana Avenue and AAC is located at 3385 S. Access Road. You can enjoy their locally-produced ice cream at both locations. Learn more at ABetterScoop.com; call 941-473-2650.
Sarah, what’s the brief history of A Better Scoop including some of your prior awards?
A Better Scoop was founded in 2009 and Kevin and I purchased the business in 2014. We have been the #1 ice cream business for many years through various award programs. We were selected the Best New Business in 2015 with the Englewood Chamber of Commerce. Our greatest accomplishment is serving quality ice cream to thousands of people of all ages. Our goal is to make every bite a treat. Our staff is top notch and they are amazing at remembering your favorite flavor.
Why did you decide to make your own ice cream?
We’ve always wanted to make our own ice cream to make sure our products featured the highest quality ingredients. Our prior supplier closed in 2018 and that led to our decision to create The Arctic Alligator Creamery. In order to make the best ice cream, you need the best machines and ingredients. We use a batch freezer from Emery Thompson, and they are the pioneers in the industry.
Can you give an example of a specialty flavor that your creamery has developed for a restaurant?
We recently made a Blood Orange Sorbet for our friends at Nicola’s Italian Kitchen in Englewood. Our process starts with the restaurant owners’ vision about a frozen dessert. From there we create a couple samples to build off of and adjust mixtures as needed. It’s rewarding to work with restaurants looking for premium desserts for their customers.
Is Salted Caramel still your most popular flavor and what are some of the other top choices?
Yes, and we make it with farm fresh praline pecans from Georgia. Most other companies use pecans shipped from Mexico that could be months old. Some of our other top sellers are Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Blast, and Cookies and Cream.
What’s the latest with your daughter Kinleigh and her grandmother Beki?
Kinleigh is in first grade. When she’s not roaming the mean streets of Englewood Elementary, you can catch her at one of the shops handing out punch cards or enjoying a scoop of chocolate. You will also find Beki at the shops in the morning or driving on I-75 in her camper on one of her camping adventures.