Business Intel: Rookie’s brings ice cream sandwiches to downtown Roanoke | Business Local
Rookie’s, which offers handcrafted ice cream…
Rookie’s, which offers handcrafted ice cream sandwiches, recently opened in the Patrick Henry building in downtown Roanoke.
Customers can order ice cream sandwiches from the walk-up window at Rookie’s, choosing between a variety of cookies and ice cream flavors.
A business offering ice cream sandwiches opened its doors in Roanoke.
Rookie’s started as a food truck in the Lynchburg area in 2017. Last July, it opened a brick-and-mortar location in Forest and this month it added another shop, in the Patrick Henry building in downtown Roanoke.
Owner Jordan Nickerson said the business began almost as an experiment. He dreamed up the idea while pursuing a master’s degree and wanting to get some hands-on experience.
“We started the food truck because we just kind of wanted to take the adventure and learn from things,” he said.
The business originally launched under a different name, but when Nickerson looked into trademarking it he learned someone else already had. The name was then changed to Rookie’s, in part as a reference to the rookie mistake.
“We just embraced the fact that we were kids in our 20s trying to start a business and almost the fake-it-until-you-make-it mentality,” he said.
While Rookie’s is best known for ice cream sandwiched between two cookies, customers can also get just a scoop of ice cream, milk and cookies or a cookie skillet. Coffee is also served. The menu features five types of cookies and 10 flavors of ice cream, with some changes every six weeks or so. Gluten-free and vegan options are also available.
