Greenport Creamery is set to open at the former Sandpiper Ice Cream shop May 1.
Owner Dr. Lillian Stachtiaris said the 20 varieties of ice cream, sherbert and frozen yogurt will be made in-house using as many natural ingredients as possible — just like she remembers it from her childhood.
The Nassau pediatrician is giving a fresh name to the longstanding ice cream shop that has been operated by her family for 40 years. Her mother, Marion, got the family into the business in the 1970s when she bought a Carvel shop in Baldwin. With Lillian’s father, Achilles, she opened Sandpiper on Main Street in 1979. The couple later purchased the building, too.
Lillian grew up helping in the shop and has fond memories of the employees calling her father Pops. After her parents passed away, her brother continued the business until last fall.
Lillian, who inherited the building, said she hopes to bring back the nostalgia of old-fashioned ice cream parlors with the newly renovated Creamery. She is upgrading the space with state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and introducing a neutral color palette to compliment vintage-inspired signage that will adorn the shop.
“I think of it as a continuation of the business,” Lillian said. “All the ice cream is going to be made in-house using ingredients from local farm stands.”
Fans of Sandpiper Ice Cream can still expect the floats and milkshakes alongside staple flavors such as vanilla and chocolate. Lillian plans to work with local farms to source the fruit for her strawberry, blueberry and other ice cream flavors. The treats will be sweetened by local honey, pure sugar and agave.
“As a pediatrician, that is important to me,” she said. “I want people to really taste the natural flavors the way they are meant to be tasted. The most important thing is the flavor.”
Greenport Creamery will also serve fun flavors such as jalapeno margarita and unicorn glitter, which Lillian describes as an “intense vanilla” with glitter sprinkles.
“The kids love it,” she said.
A grand opening is planned for May 1 at Greenport Creamery, located at 142 Main Street in Greenport.
