Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Opens First San Antonio Scoop Shop at The Shops at La Cantera With Free Ice Cream
San Antonio ice cream fans are getting a new place to cool down, gather with friends and explore flavors that go well beyond the usual chocolate-and-vanilla lineup.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will celebrate the grand opening of its first San Antonio scoop shop from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at The Shops at La Cantera. The new shop is located at 15900 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 7751, near American Eagle and Foot Locker.
Free scoops will be available to everyone during the four-hour celebration, and the first 50 guests in line will receive swag bags. Visitors who join the company’s Splendid Rewards program will also have an opportunity to win free ice cream for a year.
For San Antonio families, shoppers and visitors searching for ice cream near La Cantera, the opening brings a nationally recognized dessert brand to one of the city’s busiest retail destinations. It also gives Northwest San Antonio another casual gathering place where a quick shopping break can become a shared summer memory.
How to Enter the Free Ice Cream for a Year Giveaway
Guests interested in the grand-opening giveaway should download the Jeni’s app and register for the Splendid Rewards loyalty program before visiting the shop.
During the July 23 event, rewards members can scan the app at checkout to be entered for a chance to receive free ice cream for one year. Participation requires both enrollment in Splendid Rewards and an in-store scan during the grand-opening celebration.
The giveaway adds another reason for customers to arrive early, particularly with complimentary swag limited to the first 50 people in line.
Jeni’s Brings Its Unconventional Flavors to San Antonio
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002 by ice cream maker Jeni Britton. Over more than two decades, the company has grown from its Ohio roots into a national brand with scoop shops in cities across the United States, including established Texas locations in Austin, Dallas and Houston. Its products are also carried in thousands of grocery store freezers nationwide.
Britton, a James Beard Award winner and cookbook author, developed the company around the idea that ice cream could be treated with the same creativity and attention to ingredients often associated with restaurants and bakeries.
Rather than relying only on familiar combinations, Jeni’s develops flavors influenced by food traditions, art, history and popular culture. The company describes its ice cream as having a smooth texture, a buttercream-like body, bright flavor and a clean finish. Its recipes are built from scratch using a process refined by Britton over more than 20 years.
The company says it uses fresh milk from family dairy farms along with Direct Trade and Fair Trade ingredients. Many components are prepared in-house, including ingredients that are blended, baked, peeled, chopped or otherwise handled as part of the flavor-making process rather than being added from a standard premade ice cream mix.
What Flavors Does Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Serve?
The scoop shop’s rotating selection may vary, but Jeni’s is known for combinations such as Brambleberry Crisp, featuring vanilla ice cream layered with sweet-tart berry jam and toasted oat streusel; Brown Butter Almond Brittle, made with crushed brown butter almond candy; and Gooey Butter Cake, which combines cream cheese ice cream, vanilla cake pieces and caramel-butterscotch sauce.
Other varieties have included Double Dough, a brown sugar custard filled with chocolate chip cookie dough, along with dairy-free choices, seasonal releases and limited-edition collaborations.
That mix of recognizable desserts and unexpected flavor ideas has helped Jeni’s build a following among customers who enjoy sampling before settling on a scoop. For newcomers, the San Antonio grand opening provides a low-risk introduction: the scoops are free, and the atmosphere is designed to feel more like a neighborhood celebration than a standard retail opening.
Jeni’s La Cantera Hours and Location
After the grand-opening event, the Jeni’s La Cantera scoop shop is scheduled to operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
The shop’s address is:
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at The Shops at La Cantera
15900 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 7751
San Antonio, TX 78256
The location is positioned near American Eagle and Foot Locker, making it accessible to shoppers already spending time inside the open-air shopping center.
What San Antonio Residents Should Know Before the Grand Opening
The celebration runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Free scoops will be offered throughout the event, but only the first 50 people in line will receive swag bags.
Guests hoping to enter the free-ice-cream-for-a-year giveaway should create a Splendid Rewards account through the Jeni’s app in advance and remember to scan the app when checking out.
As Jeni’s opens its first San Antonio scoop shop, the La Cantera location gives residents another locally accessible option for date nights, family outings, after-school treats and weekend stops. More than a new place to buy dessert, it offers a small but welcome reason for people to slow down, share a table and enjoy something together.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more San Antonio restaurant openings, family events and new businesses coming to neighborhoods across the area.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.