Scoops of happiness at Fox Island Creamery

BY GINNY PRIVITAR
HEWITT — West Milford has a welcome new business: Fox Island Creamery and Café. The grand opening is set for Saturday, April 23, but for those who can’t wait, it’s open now. They sell Froyo World frozen yogurt and sorbet, ice cream and desserts. Most of their ice cream is homemade and they use the highest cream content available for a truly luscious product.
Owners and friends Elena Dykstra and Sharon Mines have renovated the former Lake View Pub, making it a bright cheery, welcoming spot where treats, including great coffee, cake, pie and Mr. Cupcake cupcakes, can be enjoyed indoors or on the deck that overlooks Greenwood Lake.
And it’s a family affair; Dykstra’s daughter, Rebecca, creates and makes the ice cream. Mines’ daughter, Jessica Wacht, will join them when she comes home from college.
“I love working with my partner LJ Koch because we get so excited picking ingredients that will blend well together in the flavors we create,” said Rebecca. “Then to see which flavors are the customers favorites gives us the most satisfaction and inspire us to create new ones. Our signature flavors are Fox Island Fluff Nutella Vanilla, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Coconut Lovers.”
Dykstra said there are 10 different yogurt stations. Every week when they clean the machines, they change the flavors up. Froyo World makes as many as 40 different flavors.
Fox Island Creamery and Café has a 16-bin ice cream case and can make 45 different flavors.
This was a new venture for Mines, but Dykstra has owned a lot of businesses, and owns Greenwood Lake Marina. She realized the lake needed more businesses for boat patrons to frequent.
“I love starting businesses. Funny, when I bought the building, I thought I could get a liquor license and could turn it into bar; a friend was going to rent it and run the bar," Dykstra said. “The town didn’t like it, so I thought, ‘I’ll just do something else.’”
The result should make everyone happy.
Dykstra said co-owner Mines came up with the inspiration for an ice creamery. She said they sat and talked for months coming up with ideas.
Their ice cream is made with the highest quality cream (16 percent). According to Mines, most ice cream makers use only 10 to 12 percent cream. They’ve also come up with new flavor combinations.
Ice creams include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip coffee, butter pecan, cake batter, black raspberry, chocolate peanut butter and cookies and cream. Available flavors vary each week, so there’s always something new to try.
There's no wanting in the toppings area either. They include locally available produce like strawberries and blueberries from Oakland Farmers Market. Other toppings include caramel, Twix, Snickers, cookie dough, Kit Kats, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pieces, brownie bites, s’mores, and too many more to list here.
Other items available include bagels; rolls; muffins; scones; donuts; Danish; filled croissants and assorted cakes and pies.
Sue Oneil, former owner of Country Roads Deli, is managing the creamery
What’s the best part about owning an ice cream business? “Eating it,” said Dykstra.
Stop by and treat yourself. It’s accessible by land or lake.
Tell us what you think about your next visit to the Fox Island Creamery? Go to westmilfordmessenger.com and share.