Cream

The unbeatable combination of premium ice cream sandwiched between warm, freshly-baked cookies has taken Cream from its family-kitchen roots to eight Northern California locations. After years of sharing their homemade ice cream sandwiches with family and friends, Jimmy and Gus Shamieh opened their first Cream restaurant near the University of California’s Berkeley campus in 2010. The other seven locations are franchises, which opened in response to ardent fans who wanted their own opportunity to become a part of the Cream experience. In 2015, more franchised units will open in San Diego, Los Angeles and California’s Central Valley, as well as the Las Vegas area. Cream’s cookie recipes haven’t changed from the days when the Shamieh family baked them in their kitchen. The proprietary premium ice cream is heavy on the butterfat, with little air. Ryan said the classics such as chocolate chip cookies and mint-chocolate chip ice cream are still leading the pack in menu mix, but flavors like salted caramel and gluten-free or vegan options, including soy strawberry cheesecake, are going strong. Cream has been surprised by its success so far in less-dense suburbs.