A New Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop Opens in Warwick
Apponaug Village Creamery offers unlimited toppings and Hershey's flavors just in time for summer.
Joe Trillo and Molly Newman recently opened Apponaug Village Creamery in Apponaug. (Photo by MDR Photography)
A new ice cream shop is offering a sweet new hangout spot in Warwick, just in time for the summer months.
Apponaug Village Creamery is a new business from Molly Newman and her fiancé, Joe Trillo, located off Post Road near the Apponaug roundabouts. The creamery opened earlier this month and is already attracting customers at 10 Music Lane.
“We’re trying to build a community here where it’s something to do,” Trillo says. “It’s a destination where you come with your family, have a cone, sit on the patio, come out to one of the events, have fun with it.”
Newman, a nurse, and Trillo, who works in the security alarm business, say the idea to open an ice cream shop first entered their minds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newman, who’d always worked face-to-face with patients, saw the impact of families not being able to spend time in person together. Recently, she switched to a new role where she no longer works as closely with patients and found herself craving that human connection.
“I thought that I needed to do something more in the community and deal with people face-to-face,” she says. “We went through years of people not being able to be face-to-face with their families. It all just kind of lined up.”
Around the same time, Trillo discovered the location through a chance encounter at work. The building, which was formerly home to Sweet Dee’s Cafe and Cupcakery, was located close to a busy corner of Post Road. When he was called to test the fire alarm, he knew right away he’d found the place to make their ice cream dreams a reality.
“Before I talked to anybody, I pulled up and said, ‘Wow, this would be a great ice cream shop,’” he recalls.
Immediately, he brought Newman to see the space. The two purchased the building and spent the winter prepping for the upcoming season. Because it was already outfitted as a food business, Trillo says it required minimal renovations to bring the ice cream shop to life. Their main focus was creating a welcoming environment, including giving everything a healthy coat of purple paint, their signature color.
Their main focus, he says, is to offer families an affordable option when it comes to ice cream. To that end, the shop offers unlimited toppings for $.95. Customers can choose from toppings like Oreos, crushed Reese’s cups, gummy bears, peanut butter, hot fudge, strawberries, sprinkles and, of course, whipped cream. They also offer a rotating menu of specials announced on social media.
“It gives people what they want, and if you want three toppings, it shouldn’t cost three dollars,” he says.
All of the ice cream is Hershey’s brand. That means guests can choose from classics like chocolate and cookies n’cream or go for Hershey’s favorites like Graham Central Station (graham ice cream with graham cracker swirl and chocolate covered honeycombs) or Lil’ Blue Panda (sugar cookie ice cream with cookie dough swirl and cream-filled cookies). They also offer no-sugar-added and dairy-free flavors, as well as dairy-free whipped cream and oat milk for milkshakes.
“Our giants and our sundaes are served in pint containers,” Trillo says.
The shop is pet-friendly, and humans and pups alike can find space on the outdoor patio. With the nights growing longer, Newman and Trillo say they’re looking forward to getting involved in the community. They sponsor a team in the Apponaug Babe Ruth Baseball League and hope to host car shows this summer.
“We’re very fortunate that we’re in a position that we can do this as a fun thing,” Trillo says. “It’s kind of a way to give back a little and still have a sustainable business.”
Apponaug Village Creamery will host a grand opening event on Saturday, June 21, with face painting, a DJ and an appearance by Spider-Man. Festivities start at noon and will continue through the late afternoon. For more information, visit apponaugvillagecreamery.com.
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