Debuting with a completely new packaging and brand appeal, Sibby’s Premium Organic Ice Cream has opened a soft-serve ice cream parlor inside the Viroqua Public Market at 215 South Main Street, Viroqua, Wis.
“My favorite way to eat ice cream is soft serve,” owner Sue “Sibby” Sebion told me this week. “So we thought, let’s dish it up that way.”
The result is Sibby’s Organic Zone Ice Cream Parlor, featuring her fresh made organic cream. The parlor also features fair-trade, locally roasted coffee, as well as espresso drinks, soda, tea and treats.
Sebion and partner Dr. Tony Macasaet chose a “warm, George Jetson, Norwegian, eclectic decor” for the parlor. Many of the shop’s elements are recycled. For example, the hand painted multi-pane decorative windows come from the barracks at Fort McCoy, while the cork-rubber floor is made from recycled tires. The booths were saved from an old Viroqua cafe.
A 100% woman-owned, independent ice cream manufacturer, Sibby’s was founded in 2001. The ice cream factory is tucked into the Sebion family’s picturesque 150-year-old Norwegian homestead farm in Vernon County, home to one of the highest concentrations of organic farming in the nation.
“The milk in my ice cream comes from right nearby… its age can be measured in minutes,” Sibby says proudly. Sibby’s ice cream is gluten free and made without gums or artificial ingredients and additives. It enjoys national distribution through United Natural Foods and is available in all Midwest Whole Foods Markets and many food co-ops and natural food stores across 16 states.
Sebion, whose business survived the devastating floods of August 2007, is proud that after seven years of struggle, she finally feels prepared for growth and success. “My new packaging is incredible, I have the support of Whole Foods and co-ops like Outpost and the Viroqua Food Coop, and we have national distribution. Most importantly, I’m making some amazing ice cream! And of course, I wouldn’t be here without my loyal customers.”
You go, girl.
