Mimi’s Handmade is now chilling at the Mosaic District in Merrifield.
The ice cream maker quietly opened its newest shop at 2985 District Avenue, Suite 160, about a month ago, owner Rollin Amore told FFXnow yesterday (Wednesday).
“So far, we’ve been very well received, and I’m pretty pleased about that,” Amore said, noting that the business also recently expanded to Rockville, Maryland.
Started in Pentagon City in December 2021, Mimi’s is named after Amore’s youngest daughter and builds on gelato and sweets recipes passed down by his grandmothers. All of the ice cream is made in-house, and there are 32 flavors available at a time, many of them unusual.
While most flavors are the same at each location, there’s some variation between neighborhoods. For example, wasabi peas didn’t gain much traction in Arlington, but it has emerged as a favorite at the Merrifield store, whose customers tend to be “very discerning on quality,” Amore says.
“If you have a lot of children, the flavor selection will be a lot different than if you have Gen Xers or you have an older crowd, so it’ll vary depending on the demographics,” he said. “…Chocolate, butterscotch, Oreo sell great in every community, but some of the more unique flavors, each community has its own characteristics.”
In addition to ice cream scoops, the menu offers sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches and hot drinks.
With foot traffic coming at a slower pace for the winter, Amore anticipates waiting for spring to schedule a grand opening event, which would be similar timing to the original Arlington store’s launch. The shop in Merrifield is open from noon to 9 p.m. on Mon through Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Also found in Chevy Chase’s The Heights food hall, Mimi’s has a fifth location in the works at Pinecrest Plaza in Lincolnia. Amore says the team hopes to open that shop in the summer.
Coming in the new year to the Mosaic District will be the Beaufort Bonnet Company, a children’s clothing store that says it expects to open in late February or early March. In addition, the Asian street food chain Hawkers will take over the former Four Sisters restaurant, but an opening time frame hasn’t been confirmed.