Ruby Jewel’s Northwest Portland Location Opens This Saturday [Updated]

Ruby Jewel Ice Cream, the popular ice cream sandwich shop, is opening a new location in Northwest Portland Saturday, May 11. Starting at noon, the popular chain’s fourth store will begin pairing various ice creams with their house-baked cookies, all alongside the company’s brand-new test kitchen.

Ruby Jewel is one of Portland’s more popular ice cream companies, known for Pacific Northwestern flavors like Oregon strawberry and Oregon mint flake as well as their popular ice cream sandwiches, spotted in grocery stores across the region. Its fourth location will specialize in customizable ice cream sandwiches, also hosting classes and making small-batch collaborations in the open-format test kitchen.

The cafe will look distinct from its other locations across Portland: The 1,600-square-foot shop will be divided into four whimsical “rooms” designed to look like those of a cozy home. The test kitchen island will also have seats so guests can watch the process and even do some taste-testing.

“I’m excited to open a shop in Northwest Portland, surrounded by other vibrant independent businesses with strong community roots,” says co-owner Lisa Herlinger, who started Ruby Jewel with her sister Becky Burnett in 2004 at the Portland Farmers’ Market. “The Slabtown neighborhood is having an exciting development boom and the design of our new shop will welcome everyone with a playful vibe, more like an “ice cream wonderland” than a typical scoop shop.”

For that “wonderland” look, the team turned to the local Design Department, who developed the recently opened Keys Lounge as well as Bamboo Sushi. “I love the idea of separate seating areas within the larger shop,” says Herlinger. “The design challenge was transforming a contemporary space into one that is cozy and vintage, and we’ve had fun choosing furniture and accessories and designing custom wallpaper.”

After the shop opens Saturday, it’ll host a number of events with other neighborhood shops, including special ice cream sandwiches made with Blue Star doughnuts on May 14 and Pine State biscuits on May 16. The new shop is located at 1650 NW 23rd Avenue.

Update May 9, 2019, at 12:17 p.m.
This story has been updated to include the ice cream shop’s opening date.

• Ruby Jewel [Official]
• Design Department [Official]
• Portland Ice Cream Chain Ruby Jewel Is Opening a Location in Northwest [EPDX]
• All Previous Ruby Jewel Coverage [EPDX]