JP Hearn, owner of Fountainville Creamery and Soda Fountain, has created an ice cream oasis and Midlanders are flocking there.
The ice cream parlor, located off Loop 250 near H-E-B, serves one-of-a-kind West Texas-themed flavors.
“We make our ice cream from scratch, and we kind of like to feature flavors that represent where we’re from," Hearn told the Midland Reporter-Times. "One of our top flavors is Tumbleweed. We do Black Gold, which is a black ice cream that has the flavor of local honey and graham cracker. Other flavors are Sandstorm, Caliche, you know, really fun flavors that reflect where we’re from.”
Out of its 20 unique flavors, Black Gold is the most popular and best selling.
“The color comes from coconut charcoal and the flavor, with that graham cracker and honey taste, is a twist on the flavor," Hearn told the Midland Reporter-Times. "That’s by far our No. 1 seller. Some customers come in and it’s Black Gold or nothing. Sometimes we sell out and they’ll say that they’ll keep watching until we have it, or they’ll call before they come. Fans can only go a week or so without ice cream.”
The Tumbleweed flavor is a mix of caramel, chocolate and toasted coconut. It has a toasted coconut color with ribbons of caramel and chocolate throughout.
Hearn graduated from culinary school with a degree in pastries and desserts. Before opening Fountainville, he operated an oil-field catering business and would take a big trailer to the oil patch that had a buffet set up inside.
Each new batch requires six hours of prep time and includes 30 gallons of milk, 21 gallons of heavy cream, 16 pounds of dry milk, 80 pounds of sugar, a gallon of corn syrup and a little bit of stabilizer. Hearn has made 50 tons of ice cream since Fountainville opened.
“People love ice cream, and I thought West Texas needed its own ice cream," Hearn said. "That’s how Fountainville came about. Of course, we have a soda fountain from the ’40s and have homemade soft drinks and other items. We make our own waffle cones. We serve our ice cream in cones and bowls in different sizes.”
More information can be found at www.fountainville.net.