We all scream for…
I’m sure we can all agree we’ve had Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, and if you haven’t been to his only store located in Plano, then I can almost guarantee you’ve eaten his ice cream at a restaurant.
Henry opened the original location in 1985 in Philadelphia, but when he moved to Plano in 1992 Henry felt there was a lack of authentic, homemade ice cream and opened up shop. “We use the best ingredients in our ice cream. We are the only one I know of who use real fruit; a lot of people use imitations and sweeteners,” Henry told Plano Profile. “It costs 30 cents for 2 ounces of sweeteners or powders, and it costs $6 for one batch of fresh strawberries.”
And boy, you can taste the difference. The 700 restaurant locations he serves annually think so, too. That’s right. His 3,000-square-foot Plano store serves not only the customers that walk through the door, but also local catering services and restaurants from Shreveport to Albuquerque to San Antonio to Oklahoma City and everywhere in between. A few restaurants Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream is served are Great Outdoors, La Hacienda, Humperdinks, and his newest client, Dugg Burger. Impressive.
The ice cream shop is home to an extensive selection of flavors, including Black Raspberry, Bubble Gum, and Corn and Avocado which he makes for the restaurant Meso Maya. The flavor of the summer is Senator Shapiro’s TX Praline. You can create your own flavor too at a minimum size of a half gallon for only $12.79! Seriously. This isn’t a joke. Craving Cinnamon ice cream with pecans and gummy bears? Or, Wedding Cake with cookie dough? Henry’s got ya covered.
Ice cream isn’t all that Henry has to offer either. He’s got sherbet, sorbet, Hirsch’s Meats hot dogs and other small bites, as well as shirts for sale that proclaim, “Ice cream makes you pretty!” For anyone else that’s never known the difference between sherbet and sorbet, “Sherbet (pronounced Sherbert) contains 1–3% milkfat from milk or cream, and Sorbet contains below 1 percent and is referred to as water ice. They’re both fruit based.” As a reference, ice cream is made from 3–10% milkfat.
Cool facts:
- The first ice cream USPS stamp. Thanks to Henry’s fans—Mayor Harry LaRosiliere, former Mayor John Longstreet, former Mayor Pat Evans and former LegacyTexas Bank President Phil Dyer—for sending in letters to the U.S. government over the past 10 years, 2017 will bring the first postage stamp dedicated to the cold, delicious treat.
- Every October, Henry hosts an event for the American Cancer Society and gives away one free quart of ice cream per customer. All donations benefit the nonprofit.
- Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream has won countless awards from the National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA), including Official Ice Cream of Texas for the flavor Senator Shapiro’s TX Praline.
The Scoop on Henry, a brief Q&A with the owner:
Why ice cream? I wanted to make a product that makes everyone happy.
Favorite flavors? Lavender Bean, Salted Caramel and Coconut.
Best local eats? Too many to choose from.
Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream
3100 Independence Pkwy, #215 Plano, Texas 75075
Hours: Mon-Sun 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
Summer weekend hours: Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–10:15 p.m.
henryshomemadeicecream.com