Sprinkles: New Ice Cream Shop, Nostalgic Location

Sprinkles
1720 Lexington Ave N
Roseville, Minnesota 55113.

Successful Roseville restaurateurs are opening a new ice cream shop this summer in one of the city’s most nostalgic buildings. 

Sprinkles, located in the historic Dairy Queen building on Lexington Avenue, is serving up premium soft serve ice cream, shakes, malts and a vegan fruit-flavored ice cream alternative.  Customers can also indulge in hot dogs and chili dogs. 

Roseville native and restaurant owners Tim Hughes and his business partner Curtis Thompson took over the mid-century glass building this spring, which has been a seasonal ice cream hotspot since 1947, and have quickly renovated it for a summer opening. 

“Our main focus at Sprinkles will be premium soft-serve ice cream. I am using higher quality ingredients. It’s real ice cream. You will be able to taste the difference,” Hughes said. 

The business partners, who are childhood friends, also own and operate Maverick’s Real Roast Beef, a deli-style eatery offering hot sandwiches, fries and an impressive ice cream shake and malt menu. Maverick’s and Sprinkles are both located in the Lexington Plaza Shoppes, at the corner of Lexington and Larpenteur avenues. 

Ice cream is available in chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate-vanilla swirl. Customers can order cups, cones and sundaes. And, of course, sprinkles and other toppings will be on the menu. Hughes said they've curated the menu to ensure customers have both delicious options and quick service. 

The pair has spruced up the 75-year-old building with a fresh coat of paint, modern culinary equipment, and new outdoor patio seating.  But it will still feel like a slice of small-town summer nostalgia with customers ordering at the walk-up windows. 

The Hughes family has a long history in Roseville. 

“My grandparent built a home here after World War II,” Hughes said. 

He remembers visiting the Dairy Queen for sweet treats when he was a youngster. His parents also eventually settled in the area and Hughes is a Roseville Area High School graduate. 

For five years, Hughes worked at nearby Snuffy’s Malt Shop, where he learned the ins and out of the ice cream businesses.  Hughes also worked in restaurant management for a large corporate chain before buying his own place. 

Hughes said he’s also learned a lot about the food service business from his parents. 

“They worked in bars and restaurants their whole lives and have a world of experience,” he said. It was actually Hughes’ folks that helped rebrand the business. He wanted a name that matched the vintage, playful, and family-friendly aesthetics of the place. It also needed to fit on the historic neon sign on the roof of the building. 

“My mother came up with the name Sprinkles and I just love it,” Hughes said. 

Hughes said Roseville residents are rallying behind them. 

“The community is really supportive, and we are pouring it back into the business,” Hughes said.