If you want to taste flavors from the country’s top independent creameries – and local favorites too – seek out The Craft Creamery in Point Loma. The business at 1302 Rosecrans St. was recently taken over and remodeled by entrepreneur Ryan Sisson, founder/CEO of Moniker Group in Liberty Station.
Of his new enterprise, Sisson said: “It lives under the hospitality branch of the company and is highly integrated into, and uniquely positioned within the Moniker ecosystem. It is overseen by Cooper Sage, our general manager of food and beverage.”
Moniker’s multifaceted brand draws from numerous specialties including interior design, custom-made furniture, co-working spaces, a cocktail bar and catering, a coffee company, a retail store, unique event properties, and now a craft creamery. Part business, part dream factory, today Moniker Group encompasses four main subsidiaries: Moniker Hospitality, Moniker Events, Moniker Design, and Moniker General. In total, eight companies and 10 brands.
Sisson discussed his “scoops on tap” business model, which was inspired by and adapted from San Diego’s thriving craft beer industry. “The opportunity to champion small-batch artisans from all over the U.S. and simultaneously offer San Diegans something unique and unprecedented in terms of a neighborhood ice cream shop is what sealed the deal for me,” said Sisson, who augmented his 1,700-square-foot space with the dual-concept addition of local brewing institution Moniker Coffee Co.
“I wanted this to be a hub for craft ice cream that you would only get in the town that it is a part of. We wanted to give people a chance to try things they wouldn’t get unless they went to some rural town in Washington State, Ohio, or wherever.”
Sisson said ice cream lovers can come in for a leisurely scoop a la carte, sample a scoop flight, kick it up with a menu of affogatos, or pick up freshly pre-scooped pints on the go.
Sisson took a local mom-and-pop and “kept it going just trying to add value to it.” He said he will be re-introducing milkshakes too into his creamery space, where he made some small layout changes to make more room for people to either sit down or line up.
“We also relaunched the coffee side of the space, now run by Moniker Coffee and open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily,” he said. “We’re just trying to make it a little hub for the community.”
“It was a great idea, and felt like a natural fit creating another community space,” concluded Sisson of his new-fangled creamery. “It has different products than we’re used to, but with Moniker we believe that we can take over places and do cool stuff with them. We’re excited to refresh our branding and make spaces, like The Craft Creamery, more enjoyable places to come and visit, have an ice cream, and interact with our team. Some fun stuff is going to happen over the next couple months and we’re excited to be able to bring more value to our customers.”
ICE CREAM OFFERINGS
The Craft Creamery in Point Loma sources flavors from roughly 50 of the nation’s top independent creameries. Guests enjoy a rotating lineup of top independent domestic producers and mom-and-pop creameries, most of which you’d be hard-pressed to find at neighborhood grocery stores.
Samples available include San Diego’s Mutual Friend (sister company to Dark Horse Coffee Roasters), Molly Moon Ice Cream (Food & Wine’s No. 1 Best Ice Cream Spot in the U.S.), Fosselman’s (an old school, family-owned parlor originally opening doors in 1919), Double Rainbow (recipient of “Best Ice Cream in America” for their French Vanilla), Petersen’s Ice Cream (Chicago’s old-fashioned parlor opened in 1919), Graeter’s (an over 150-year-old concept known for handcrafted French Pot ice cream), and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream (Wisconsin-based creamery opened by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial duo). Ice cream happy hour is offered on weekdays from 3-5 p.m. where kids age 12 and under receive 50% off. For more information, visit craftcreamerysd.com.
