Wasena Welcomes Dairy-Free Crème Fresh

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Behind the Page

RND’s Quincy Randolph & Bloom’s Nate Sloan team up to bring artisanal non-dairy scoops to Wasena.

What happens when two of Roanoke’s most creative chefs decide to get into the ice cream game? A plant-based ice cream shop that offers non-dairy scoops that deliver flavor and texture with a helping of hospitality. After a year of R&D and planning, Quincy Randolph, the chef/owner of RND Coffee Lounge, and Nate Sloan, chef/owner of Bloom, will open Crème Fresh in Wasena on August 27, 2021.

When the space next door to RND Coffee Lounge, formerly home to Blacksnake Meadery, became available last July, Sloan, whose restaurant is located across the street, immediately checked in with Randolph to get his thoughts on the space. Sloan had ice cream on the brain, and the pair brainstormed extensively before deciding to partner on a plant-based scoop shop concept.

The plant-based trend continues to proliferate across the food industry, from meat-free proteins to dairy-free milk alternatives. It’s something that Randolph has witnessed firsthand at RND, noting that some days the coffee shop sells more drinks made with oat or almond milk than dairy. Randolph and Sloan also felt that there was room in the local market to offer a wider variety of non-dairy ice cream but at prices commensurate with what consumers have come to expect to pay for artisanal ice cream. 

“It’s one thing to be able to grab a pint at the grocery store on occasion, but it’s another thing to be able to go out, have a night on the town and still be able to go to a scoop shop and not feel worried about it,” Randolph says.

Both Randolph and Sloan are chefs by trade, and both have experience working in pastry and dessert. As a result, the pair are uniquely qualified to create plant-based ice creams that deliver on both taste and texture. But the pair want to make their ice cream approachable, whether you follow a plant-based diet, or your taste preferences skew classic or creative. And while many of the flavors are vegan, they are not strictly a vegan scoop shop (flavors will be clearly labeled).

The menu will feature a rotating line-up of eight or so flavors, with the option to add toppings or spin scoops into a milkshake. The non-dairy bases vary depending on the flavor, but typically feature oat milk and/or coconut milk. You’ll find vanilla, which you can doctor up with toppings such as caramel sauce and cookie crumbles, as well as classically inspired combinations, such as dark-chocolate-and-coffee, crafted with RND coffee, and peanut butter with roasted banana, black cocoa and dark chocolate chunks. The more chef-inspired flavors, which really let Randolph and Sloan’s culinary creativity shine, include matcha mint and a corn ice cream bolstered by a concentrated corn puree and ribboned with vegan caramel. Sorbets include flavors such as blackberry brandy and lemon lavender raspberry.

Crème Fresh’s brand and aesthetic inspiration is rooted in '90s hip-hop culture. The space exudes a loud, fun vibe with bright teal and orange walls and a graffiti-wrapped counter. Crème Fresh will also tap local artists to create graffiti splatter on the building’s exterior brick and Keith Haring-inspired designs in the bathrooms to give an artistic nod to the late '80s and early '90s.

“We feel like the whole plant-based concept lent itself well to that positive, progressive growth [of '90s hip hop],” Sloan says. “Doing something old like they did, like turning old jazz records into hip hop records, we’re taking ice cream and putting a fun spin on it.”

All in all, the pair want to deliver something delicious yet unconventional, with the kind of warm hospitality that has become hallmarks to their own businesses. “I’m hoping people walk in and then they’re like, ‘whoa, this is not what I was expecting,' and then they get to the ice cream and it’s just, ‘whoa, this is still not what I was expecting,’” Randolph says.

About the Writer:

Layla’s food obsession started early; growing up in cities like Paris, Aberdeen and Jakarta, Layla counts escargots, Haggis and beef rendang among her first memorable meals. She’s always looking for the next exciting bite—and relishes uncovering the story behind it. Her work has appeared on Saveur, Food Network and Refinery29 and in The Chicago Tribune, Drinks International and Our State. Follow her on Instagram @theglassofrose or on Twitter @glassofrose.