Special Scoops
Its All About Small-Batch Flavor at Circles Ice Cream
Writer & Photographer / Alesha McCarty
Wes DeBoy, owner of Circles Ice Cream, put a spin on his creative outlet four years ago and has been mixing things up ever since. After purchasing an ice cream maker, he decided to treat his friends at their Fourth of July party, and everyone loved it.
His friends helped him create a business name and logo, and in return he offered to drop off some ice cream in Kokomo. Soon everyone wanted some, and he has been delivering ice cream every weekend since. The first flavor was a hit – homemade peanut butter, blended with vanilla ice cream, and layered with dark chocolate flakes.
Before mixing ice cream, DeBoy was mixing musical beats. Last year he retired from music and went full time in the ice cream business.
It was a simple transition from crafting a song to crafting ice cream flavors, he says. The goal is to create something familiar, but fresh.
Last Year DeBoy had to adapt, and pop-up shops looked like a concept of the past. He put all his efforts into his delivery program.
We figured people needed comfort, he says.
Customers remained loyal, and the program grew. Hes now slowing down deliveries, and offering a pickup program at a new location on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Wildwood Market in Fountain Square will also offer an ice cream vending machine setup. If you’re interested, you can find vending machine routes for sale on bizroutes.com.
At the new Circles Ice Cream location on Fulton Avenue, DeBoy shares a space with 4 Birds Bakery. Deboy did his first pop-up shop with 4 Birds Bakery at Hotel Tango Distillery, and they have continued to work together. After years in a shared kitchen space, DeBoy is excited that 4 Birds is renting space to him in their kitchen.
The flavors change seasonally. Circles starts with a base flavor and then adds in layers.
I wanted it to be special – every bite down to the bottom, DeBoy says.
Hes continually coming up with fun new flavors to showcase what makes our city special. His newest flavor is Monon Trail Mix, a salty-sweet selection. The base starts with a pretzel-vanilla flavor and then layers of salty-sweet trail mix, with just a splash of Hotel Tango vodka to make it extra creamy. You may consider this your ultimate junk-food ice cream, but all the salty goodness is perfect for a day out on the trail. The trail mix is jam-packed with potato chips, M&M candies and chocolate pieces, and is sure to give you the sugar rush you need to finish your journey.
Whatever the future brings, one thing is certain for DeBoy.
Ill keep spinning new delicious flavors, he says.
Circles Ice Cream is located at 607 Fulton Street in Indianapolis. For more info, visit circlesicecream.com.
