Dessert News
California dessert shop imports monstrous ice cream sandwiches to Dallas
A new ice cream shop from California with an unexpected name is coming to Dallas. Called The Baked Bear — see what I'm saying? — it's a San Diego-based ice cream shop known for large ice cream sandwiches and it's opening at the Grandscape development near Nebraska Furniture Mart.
According to a release, it will open in the spring. This is the fifth store in Texas following openings in Austin, Barton Creek, El Paso, and San Antonio. There are 25 locations overall.
Founded in 2013 by childhood friends Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger, Baked Bear makes all their items — ice cream, cookies, and brownies — in house. If you don't want a sandwich, you can get ice cream by the scoop.
They have more than a dozen cookies and ice cream flavors, and allow guests to mix and match. The sandwiches can then be coated with toppings such as sprinkles, cereals, and cookie crumbs.
Ice cream flavors include Bear Batter, Butter Brittle Cake, Blackberry Crumble, Dark Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream, Espresso Bean, Mint Chip, Vanilla, Salted Caramel Fudge, Toasted S'mores, and Vegan Chocolate Chip. High-5 to the vegan ice cream option.
Cookie flavors include Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Funfetti, Gooey Butter Cake, M&M, Red Velvet, Sea Salt Peanut Butter Chocolate, Snickerdoodle, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.
They also do rotating, seasonal flavors and a Cookie of the Month.
This all sounds great — and yet that name. I guess it's tied to polar bear? But it seems like they could have called it Big Ice Cream Sammies. Or Monster Treats. Or Big Creamy Sams. Really, almost anything seems more related than Baked Bear. [Update: A spokesperson for the concept says that "Baked" is for the cookies and "Bear" is a polar bear for the ice cream. So it's actually sort of cute.]
Local owner Shaila Kabani says in a statement that she's thrilled to bring The Baked Bear to Dallas.
"After visiting the Austin location, I realized that The Baked Bear brand has such a fun and cheerful vibe, I knew my city would love this concept," Kabani says.