Mount Olive’s Das’ Creamery is Home to Unique Ice Cream Flavors

The Das family of Mount Olive has always loved ice cream.

“Growing up in India, every time we went out on a Sunday or a Saturday, my parents would always get us ice cream,” says Pankaj Das, co-founder and owner of Das’ Creamery. “To this day, I'm a lover of chocolate ice cream. I grew up with ice cream, and when I had my own kids, we made it a point to continue the tradition of enjoying ice cream.”

And now others enjoy their handmade gourmet ice cream.

 Das’ Creamery opened its doors in 2014, but the wheels were turning long before that. Komal Das, Pankaj’s daughter, while at Rutgers University switched her studies from Anthropology and Social Work to the culinary realm, she cooking in Michelin starred restaurants. As for her dad, he took early retirement from his job at a psychiatric hospital. “I knew that I needed to do one more thing that was completely different than anything that I was doing or I'd ever done,” Pankaj says. “In the back of my mind, I was thinking of opening an ice cream shop. Just a small shop in a small town, serving ice cream to people and just making my own day happy.”

Komal adds, “During my time at Rutgers and going through college, the four year degree felt like something that you're supposed to do, but not some thing that I loved doing.” She also remembered growing up, where the Das home was a gathering spot and food was always abundant. “The kitchen was always the focal point,” she says. “And it brings people together. Food knows no boundaries, it doesn't discriminate, and it truly is the heart of the home. I knew I wanted to be part of something that you could make with your own hands. And it's instant gratification; you can see people enjoying it, their eyes light up, it brings back memories, and you're creating memories.”

 Das’ Creamery, and their crafted, unique ice cream flavors have drawn people in, but so has their friendliness. “Komal and I always felt that customer service, and how we treat the customer, is extremely important,” Pankaj emphasizes. “Not only for business, but for even our own satisfaction of what we did during the day. We tell our staff that with our customers, treat them as though they are your best friends or the family members that you like. To this day, the training that Komal imparts to the staff involves good customer service, greeting people when they come into the shop, saying goodbye, being courteous, listening to what they have to say, so on and so forth, as part of the service that we provide, in addition to making ice cream.”

Consider the names of some of the flavors. Banana Oreo, Basil Junior Mint, Downton Abbey (there’s English toffee in there – be transported), and Lemon Drop Cookie, just to name a few. According to Komal, what makes Das Creamery different are the traditional and unique flavors of ice cream created, some dairy free and vegan. Fresh, local ingredients are used at every opportunity, and their ice cream cakes are unlike any in the area, courtesy of Komal’s culinary background and the talented, current cake decorator (Megan Holman). “She's also a culinary school graduate from a pastry program,” Komal says.  “Between the two of us we have over 20 years of experience. Christine Edwards was here for three years. Another culinary school graduate, she and I kind of developed the foundation of our cake decorating.”

For Komal, Das’ Creamery customers enjoying their ice cream is important, but so is presentation of the project. “I personally love making sundaes,” she says. “There's just a little bit of that presentation and show where you're swirling whipped cream, topping it with one of those shiny red cherries, positioning the stem just right, and making sure that the sprinkles are all around. That kind of lets me relive my career as a line cook.”

 Das’ Creamery has a beautiful courtyard with benches outside its location. It’s the perfect place to enjoy one of their 32 flavors of ice cream. Also, being located on Route 46 and right near routes 10, 183, 80, and 206 as well is advantageous. “I think we have a great location,” Komal affirms. “We’re near so many different towns and neighborhoods. We oftentimes overhear customers saying, ‘Is my ice cream going to make it? I'm driving 40 minutes back. I always want to know, ‘40 minutes in what direction?! How did you find us? 40 minutes is dedication.’ We are right off the highway. It's easy to explore us if you've heard about us but you're a first timer. We have a great location with the easy in and out at the traffic light, so I think that's also appealing, and you’re not looking for parking or metered parking or anything like that.”

Das’ Creamery often gives back to the community, in Mount Olive and beyond. They donate ice cream cups or gift certificates to the school system, sponsor sports teams, and hold fundraisers throughout the year for different organizations. And Das’ Creamery is a family affair extending beyond dad and daughter. Son Janak also has been involved, in a way. He came up with the Das’ Bourbonfest ice cream. Pankaj’s wife, Ngoc Thi Bao, often works with her husband daily, and Komal’s husband, Rahul Sundrani, created the very informative website.