Recently-opened ice cream shop, called ‘Gold Spoon Creamery,’ has been unveiled by new art teacher Emily Henderson, alongside her husband Nate Henderson and business partner Erin Fay. The shop has been a long-term project and had its grand opening on Sept. 3, despite inclement weather. 

     “Unfortunately, it was super rainy, which put a little bit of a damper on our day, but there were tons of people. Our family and friends came in from all over the place, [some] from Florida, Kentucky [and] Cleveland,” Henderson said. 

     The opening day welcomed many new faces to the shop and was a surreal experience for Henderson herself.

“We had the Blue Ash mayor and City Council there, [and] the news was there, Channel 9News was there [and] we had a big ribbon cutting ceremony.”

     Being both an art teacher and ice cream shop owner is difficult, as trying to do her best while not spending too much energy on either job has been a big learning curve. 

     “It’s not easy. I work all day here, and then I go home and have more work at the ice cream shop. But it’s really fun since I get to hang out with students all day, and then I get to hang out with people eating ice cream and serving ice cream all night.”

     Despite the difficulty, bringing people happiness is important to Henderson. On a bad day, ice cream can make someone’s day better, and on a good day, they can have ice cream to celebrate.

     “I love being able to come in every day and do what I’m passionate about. My husband and I say that we’re in the business of making people happy. We love that we get to contribute to people, hopefully adding joy to their day,” Henderson said. 

     Being an art teacher, there is naturally an artistic touch to her shop. Every element to the colors, countertops, light fixtures and floor tiles are customized. 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Photo Courtesy of Dan Wertz

Gold Spoon Creamery has classic ice cream flavors and flavors unique to their shop on the menu, as well as dairy-free ice cream.

     “It’s been really, really fun to just design the space. We are super intentional about the color scheme and the theme and the inspiration for the shop. Every single thing, we did ourselves, so it’s been really fun to see a vision and a Pinterest board and turn it into a reality.”

     Although the overall reception was positive, there were doubts along the way. 

     “My dad especially said that we were crazy [and] our lives are busy enough; that this is a lot to take on, which is true, but most of our family and friends have been really supportive and my dad is now one of our biggest fans.”

     Henderson and her husband are dedicated to their craft, and this passion is translated into the quality of their ice cream.

     “I think the funniest thing is that when people tried our ice cream for the first time, I don’t think they were expecting it to be as good as it is. Our friends tried our ice cream and they said, ‘Wow, I know that my friends are making ice cream and I was expecting it to taste like my friends making ice cream, [but] we would buy this at a grocery store,'” Henderson said. 

     The Blue Ash communities’ support and Henderson’s own hard work throughout the journey is important to the success of Gold Spoon Creamery.  

     “So it’s kind of cool. Yes, we’re making ice cream, but it’s not just ice cream, it’s really good ice cream.”