A new nostalgia and whimsy-inspired ice cream shop is opening its first brick-and-mortar location on Dundas West this spring!
Moonmilk was founded in June 2022 by co-owners Elysia Leung and Sarah Davignon. Leung and Davignon ran the operation from a secret location at the end of a driveway in Parkdale. They would light a moon lamp to signal when they had ice cream pints available for sale almost every night from 6 to 10 p.m.
"It was really fun to have that adventure, especially at night, and we met so many interesting people," reminisces Davignon.
Now, Moonmilk will be located at 1695 Dundas St. W. Leung and Davignon plan to soft open the space in April upon completing some renovations, with a grand opening currently slated for May.
"We always wanted to open a brick-and-mortar store and ice cream cones can't easily be sold online," says Davignon. "But more than that, we are homebodies and we like the idea of providing a welcoming space where neighbours can gather with good quality treats."
The pair comes from extensive experience in bakeries and ice cream. Leung has managed various bakeries in Oakville and Toronto over the years, most recently at Bakerbots Baking in Bloorcourt, while Davignon's first ice cream/gelato-making job was in Ottawa in 2006. With over a decade of experience and passion for creating unique items, Leung and Davignon remain inspired and will bring fresh baked goods and ice cream aplenty to the West end.
"A lot of our baked goods and ice cream flavours are inspired by nostalgia, with foods and flavours that we grew up eating," says Davignon.
"We also make sure our flavours are bold, and taste how they sound. We want people to try, say, a coffee and donut ice cream cone and say, 'whoa, it tastes like I'm eating a coffee with a donut but in ice cream form!' We use high-quality ingredients and make all of our fillings and ice creams from scratch."
Davignon notes that flavours will rotate seasonally. For spring, the ice cream menu will play Moonmilk hits and classics, including such flavours as Choc à L'Orange, coconut cream pie, Pistachio Dream, Jelly Donut and mint fudge.
Ice cream cake, cake by the slice, cookies, milk buns and dark side of the moon buns (freshly baked milk buns filled with your choice of ice cream) will also be available, as well as whole cakes for order.
As for the space itself, Davignon describes the aesthetic as bright and open, with windows across the front. While there will be some space for customers to hang out, and bench seating outside, Moonmilk will mostly be a takeout spot.
"We did the renovations ourselves, with help from our family and friends, and kept it minimal but warm," she notes. "We're going to keep the moon lamp, but make it much bigger and brighter."
Some may recognize the Moonmilk brand from its recent pop-up at the Sugar Shack TO maple syrup market on Sugar Beach. Davignon says that her and Leung will continue to participate in markets and pop-ups, too.
When it opens, Moonmilk's hours will be Tuesday to Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. and open as late as 10 p.m. on weekends this summer.
