Tipsy Scoop is planning its first Nashville franchise, which is slated to open at the Sentral SoBro Apartments, located at 516 Lea Ave, in spring 2025.
The brand recently filed for permits for construction to 963 square feet of space at the apartments, with plans for both interior and exterior renovations. The location will have about 40 seats once construction is completed.
Tipsy Scoop, known for its ice cream “barlours,” currently has five locations: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. Nashville is one of four markets Tipsy Scoop is expanding into. Other locations are expected in Phoenix, Portland and Baltimore.
Rekina Gibson will be the franchise owner of the Nashville location. She originally got involved with the brand after visiting it on a trip to New York City and enjoying the unique concept. When she saw franchise locations were available, she looked into opening one.
“When you talk about alcohol-infused ice cream, it’s just not something you’ve seen, especially in this market,” Gibson said. “It’s something new and innovative.”
Gibson, who is from the Memphis area but used to live in Nashville, said she viewed Nashville as the perfect market for a creative concept like Tipsy Scoop. So far, she and the team have been holding pop-ups and cocktail classes in the area as they prepare the brick-and-mortar location for opening. She said the community has welcomed the concept.
“I was drawn to Nashville because Nashville is really big on having bachelorette parties, and it’s a big tourist area,” Gibson said. “So I thought this would be really fun to bring to the Nashville market.”
CEO Melissa Tavss founded Tipsy Scoop in New York City in 2014, introducing one of the first alcohol-infused ice cream brands to the market.
“Our unique boozy flavors are as delicious as they are Instagrammable, combining the nostalgia of a scoop of ice cream with the indulgence of a craft cocktail,” the Tipsy Scoop website states.
Flavors include the Kraken Ship Wrecked Ice Cream, which contains black cocoa ice cream and Kraken Black Spiced Rum; Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel; Cake Batter Vodka Martini; and Spiked Hazelnut Coffee.
“Every store has its own signature look,” Gibson said. “Our goal for our store is to really celebrate Nashville and have things that really represent country, music and the culture of Nashville. That’s what you’ll see when you walk into our Tipsy Scoop location. You’ll know you’re in Nashville.”
