Tipsy Scoop, a fast-growing alcoholic-infused ice cream shop with sites in New York and D.C., is getting ready to make its debut in Phoenix later this year.
The company’s newest location, which is called Barlours, is set to make its Arizona debut in Fall 2024, according to the company’s website. Company founder and CEO Melissa Tavss tells What Now Phoenix that this new location will be owned and operated by franchisee Tamika Wooten, who is a former chief prosecutor in Glendale, as well as a former defense attorney and judge in Maricopa County for over 30 years before becoming the CEO/Attorney at 413 Sports and Entertainment.
Tavss started working on the delicious treat with a boozy twist in 2012, with the name being established the following year with the help of her roommate. The two began catering events and hosting pop-ups throughout New York before eventually opening its first Barlour in 2017 with a line wrapped around the block. The company has three locations in New York and one in Washington D.C., while its Long Beach site is closed for the season and will reopen in Spring 2024. Before the company expands to Arizona, it will open a new location in the Bahamas sometime this month, followed by new locations in Portland and Queens. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of Tavss’ family history.
“My great, great, great grandfather, Achille, moved from his small mountaintop town of Picinisco, Italy, to Glasgow, Scotland,” according to the company’s website. “He made ice cream at home and sold it from a pushcart as he walked the city streets. Eventually, he opened his own ice cream shop and brought his sons into the business. The family business continued with my great, great grandfather, Giovanni, who opened several of his own shops around Glasgow in the 1900s. My great-grandfather, Federico, continued the family ice cream tradition and opened shops throughout Scotland and England and eventually became the President of the Ice Cream Alliance of Great Britain. Following in the ice cream tradition, I began to experiment with putting a modern boozy twist on ice cream. I wanted to combine the best of both worlds and infuse traditional ice cream flavors with different liquors. I finally perfected the recipes and came up with creamy, tipsy, and delicious treats!”
