Now open, Tickleberry's Downtown mixes ice cream, food, eclectic merch

It's a ticklish situation down at the corner of Main and Front Streets. And the owners wouldn't have it any other way.

Tickleberry's Downtown, the most northerly outpost of the famed Okanagan Falls-based ice creamery, opened its doors Monday morning -- a month ahead of schedule -- fully eradicating memories of the substantially more corporate Starbucks that once stood in the same location.

It's a bright, upbeat shop, run by young, eager folks and filled with tasty treats and unique, trendy merchandise. And yes, even on a weekday morning in the middle of winter, it was a lively place.

Manager Shaelynn MacLean, who we last spotted painstakingly ripping out flooring tiles on Halloween Eve, said the opening was a "surprise."

"We did a surprise opening Monday," she said, "just to get the hang of things and get the feel for everything because there's a lot of new stuff here for us."

Indeed. Tickleberry's Downtown is a far more complete sustenance solution than its OK Falls forerunner, and all that variety means more equipment and more skills with which to become familiar.

Beyond the 35 flavours of ice cream, there's stuff like cookies, muffins, bars and brownies -- all homemade from scratch. There are "grab and go" salads and pasta salads for those who crave something more savoury, and plenty of vegan options throughout the menu.

Many of the homemade items are named after members of the Hoy clan -- the family that founded Tickleberry's way back in 1987 and still runs it today.

But you apparently don't need to be a Hoy to qualify. We looked around and spotted a cookie named after the new manager. It's called "The Shaelynn," and it features chocolate chips and oatmeal. And like the manager, it's completely vegan.

According to MacLean, the downtown formula seems successful in the early days.

"We do a few lunch options that seem to be popular with the offices down here," she said. "We're getting quite a bit of foot traffic right now, and we're hoping once all the festivals open up again that locals and tourists will support us."

What's more, they're open to suggestions.

"If people have something they'd really like to see us have," said MacLean, "just let us know. It's a learning curve, and we're writing everything down."

The north half of the shop is home to cabinets and display cases jam-packed with merch, supplies, and packaged, locally made food.

Here you'll find Tickleberry's clothing, Espy (vegan) purses, Barefoot Venus lotions, Three Cats and a Broom herbal remedies, vegan soaps, and a wide assortment of Okanagan-made gourmet food lines. Maclean says to expect Tickleberry's own chocolate-covered dried fruit in the near future.

Note that under pandemic measures, just eight people are permitted inside Tickleberry's at any one time. Note also that there currently isn't any seating inside the shop. MacLean isn't sure if that situation will change even after the pandemic ends.

"But we do have all this lovely outdoor space," she said. "So we're hoping to bring in picnic tables for the grassy area (now also leased by Tickleberry's), and we do have seating on the patio all year long, where we have heaters."

Tickleberry's Downtown, situated at 202 Main Street, is currently open 8 am to 6 pm seven days a week. Hours of operation will likely be extended as summer approaches.