Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Plans Opening Bash Friday

The long wait for premium ice cream is finally over.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is hosting an pre-opening day party for neighbors on Friday evening at its first location in Illinois. Sitting at 3404 N. Southport Ave. beneath the Brown Line station, the store will officially open Saturday at 11 a.m.

“An open-to-the-public party with free ice cream—hosted by Jeni—will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the eve of the opening, Friday, Sept. 13,” the company wrote on its blog. “And the first 50 people through the door will receive a limited-edition, commemorative poster!”

Thus far, the popular ice cream company only has 12 storefronts in Ohio and Tennessee, but sells pints everywhere from Whole Foods to Southport Grocery & Café.

Rumors that Jeni’s was planning a new store in Lake View broke in early April when the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce heard word of the shakeup on Southport.

 “I have it on pretty good authority that they signed a lease but not confirmed by them or the broker,” Lakeview Chamber Director Heather Way told Patch in April. “If what I heard is true, they are paying the highest rent on the street.  Read: they are going to have to sell a lot of ice cream, but at $12 a pint, they should be ok.”

And based on their website, the $12 price tag is true. Jeni’s sells exotic flavors like Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet and Brown Butter Almond Brittle starting at $12, with its Askinosie Dark Milk Chocolate going for $14 a pint.

That’s compared to the average $4 price tag ice cream lovers would pay for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s at stores like Target.

The Columbus, Ohio-based ice cream company scooped up $9 million in revenue in 2011, reports SmartMoney.

"If we bought some cheap ice cream, we wouldn't have lines out the door," founder Jeni Britton Bauer told SmartMoney.