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Kosher ice cream in Cherry Creek

Aaron and Nicki Toys

Ice cream lovers may be delighted to know that they can enjoy kosher ice cream during a shopping expedition in Cherry Creek.

Nicki and Aaron Toys are the owners of the Häagen-Dazs store on the lower level of Cherry Creek Shopping Center, next to Macy. It is the only kosher certified Häagen-Dazs store in the US, although Häagen-Dazs ice cream itself is kosher. The Toys’ shop is supervised by Scroll K.

Nicki and Aaron became proprietors of this store following a journey that took them half-way around the world and back. Aaron is from Shreveport, La., and Nicki is a native of South Africa. They met as students at Brandeis University in 2000, and soon after graduation, they got married in Jerusalem.

As a young couple, they moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, for 12 years. Aaron was primarily in the e-commerce industry and enjoyed the entrepreneurial challenges of building, operating and selling his company. Nicki owned an arts and crafts store before moving into a family-run business in the mining sector.

During this time, they were also raising their three children, Max, Zavi and Issy.

The couple moved to Denver in 2015, settling on the East Side. “Immediately, we were on the continuous lookout for viable business opportunities to stretch our entrepreneurial wings,” says Nicki Toys.

In 2018, they jumped on the franchise opportunity to buy Häagen-Dazs is the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

“Häagen-Dazs super premium ice cream is all natural, world renowned, kosher and tastes amazing,” Nicki says. “So we were excited.”

R euben and Rose Mattus founded Häagen-Dazs in Brooklyn in 1960, and debuted three premium flavors: vanilla, chocolate and coffee.

“To this day, Häagen-Dazs has kept to Reuben’s ethos: kosher ingredients sourced from the best place,” says Nicki.

“The vanilla beans are from Madagascar, and the chocolate is pure Belgian. There are no additives, flavorings or colors added, so all you taste is pure, real ice cream.”

All menu items in the Cherry Creek Häagen-Dazs, from hand-spun milkshakes to fruit smoothies are certified kosher by Scroll K.

The Toys say that getting kosher certification was not difficult, but it did involve the detailed work of listing each ingredient in the store and its certification as well as being open to making any necessary changes.

The Toys have been growing the catering aspect of their business — Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, birthday parties and corporate events.

So, you might ask, what is the store’s owner’s favorite ice cream flavor? Nicki’s is “Peppermint Bark” — white chocolate ice cream with peppermint bark candy and chocolate-covered cone pieces churned in. It is seasonal, only available from November to January. Right now, pistachio is our seasonal flavor and, no, it’s not colored green!”

Copyright © 2020 by the Intermountain Jewish News



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IJN Associate Editor | [email protected]


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