ICE CREAM MAKES ME HAPPY — HATTIE JANE'S CREAMERY

By William Harwood

When Claire Crowell’s first daughter was born in 2013, she conferred upon her child one of the sweetest names a Southern mother has ever come up with for her baby, Hattie Jane. Crowell’s dad, Andy Marshall, the CEO of A. Marshall Hospitality, which owns restaurants such as Puckett’s, Americana Taphouse, and Deacon’s New South, would often joke with her that a name as cute as ‘Hattie Jane’ belonged on the business sign of some sweet concept — an ice cream shop, perhaps? At the time, it was just a lighthearted jest. Crowell, both a brand-new mother and A. Marshall’s busy COO, clearly already had enough on her plate. “With a baby and running all these restaurants,” Crowell said, “I definitely was not even thinking about starting my own little side thing.”

In 2016, Columbia had started to sizzle and those sweet thoughts of an ice cream shop kept coming. A section of the Puckett’s building in Columbia lay dormant, the windows covered over and the space used for storage. Crowell thought about that space and her vast experience in the food industry, growing up in Leiper’s Fork where she had worked at the original Puckett’s as a server and a cook before moving into operations. True, she lacked executive experience, the creative

license to launch and steer a brand from scratch. Still, she felt confident in both herself and her team and decided to go for it, opting to take the hardest route and make her artisan ice creams from scratch. By July 1, 2016, Hattie Jane’s Creamery had entered the building and was open for business.

Nevertheless, life has a way of throwing us curveballs, including historic ones. “When the pandemic happened,” Crowell recalled, “I was still full-time COO with A. Marshall and just drowning with all the things that happened to restaurants during that time. Hattie Jane’s Creamery would not be here if [Rhonda Schmitz, COO, and Autumn Friese, Operations Manager] hadn't taken the mantle upon themselves to not only make the ice cream but drive the truck around.”

It wasn’t just Crowell’s fantastic team that kept Hattie Jane’s going, but it was also the caring community of Columbia. If the pandemic was giving artisan food enterprises like Hattie Jane’s Creamery a licking, then the fantastic folks of Mule Town would give Hattie Jane’s Creamery lickings as well. Lots of them. “I really want to give credit to this community,” Crowell said gratefully, referring to the wonderful town that she and her husband, Tyler, a Mule Town native, call home. “Columbia showed up harder and faster than any other community that we were in, supporting independents first and foremost. We bounced back quickly and have felt that love ever since.”

And just how bounced back is Columbia’s number one artisan ice cream store? “We had double-digit growth last year in 2022,” Crowell shared, “and that's after six years of being in business when you don't normally see doubledigit growth.” To accommodate this demand and invest in Columbia, Crowell is expanding into a bigger building for production; look for a new facade to beautify the block of 106 E 7th Street later this year.

From left: Rhonda Schmitz, Claire Crowell and Autumn Friese.

That kind of growth speaks not only to community support but to the high quality of the ice cream that Hattie Jane’s makes, mindfully sourcing the ingredients by partnering with Tennessee farmers and dairies to produce small batches of locally sourced, Southern flavors to savor. Along with the creamy classics here to stay like Nana Puddin’, Cookie Jar Supreme, and Mulekick the latter a gluten-free concoction steeped with beans from Muletown Roasted Coffee are seasonal guest stars like Maple Bacon Crunch. “That's my favorite flavor of the season right now,” Crowell admitted. “I've tried a few times for bacon in ice cream, and this is the first time I felt like we finally nailed it.” As for the bacon itself, it is sourced from Tall Grass Meats. “That's the first time we’ve partnered with them,” Crowell said, “and we are really excited. It’s become a second mission of ours to bring heightened awareness to Tennessee agriculture and the amazing farmers we have locally.”

As for the creative process, it’s all about collaboration and seasonality. “We want to do as many seasonal flavors reflecting Tennessee agriculture as we can,” Crowell explained. “We have three to four spots that change five times a year, the four seasons plus the Holidays. We love to incorporate ingredients from local farmers whether it be something like strawberries, sweet corn, or pumpkins.” This spring, for example, look for a cool, creamy creation combining lavender and wildflower honey. “We are currently looking for a local source of lavender,” Crowell said. “The honey we use is from Columbia Health Foods, so it's always local wildflower honey.”

If artisan ice cream makes you happy, then Hattie Jane’s Creamery is about as sweet as it gets. Stop by the Columbia location on the square for a scoop or two or grab a take-home pint of your favorite flavor. Either way, you are in for a tasty treat!

Follow Hattie Jane’s on social media at @hattiejanescreamery and view their menu at hattiejanescreamery.com. You can also visit their other locations in Nashville at Fifth & Broadway in the Assembly Food Hall and in downtown Murfreesboro.