Whitney Ostercamp
St. Louisans have been retreating to a new ice cream shop to help beat the summer heat. Sylvie Dee’srecently opened in Webster Groves and is a welcome addition along Big Bend Boulevard, which has seen an increase in foot traffic in recent years. Two couples – Rachel and Jay Closson and Gretchen and John Lewis – saw a need for an unpretentious, old-fashioned soda fountain that would give back to a community they love dearly.
Rachel Closson – a professional photographer and former preschool director – directs the day-to-day operations at Sylvie Dee’s, drawing from a lifetime love of cooking, baking and entertaining. “We used to talk about opening a restaurant; I would cook and my kids would go, ‘Put it on the menu!’ - It was a dream,” she says. “Then we realized it was a lifestyle we don’t want, so we morphed into things that we loved, which we loved going out to ice cream and we love Webster.” The couple put the dream on hold until last year, when Jay Closson thought the time was right to dive in to the next phase of their lives. “[Jay] finally said, ‘Stop talking about it; let’s do it.’ So we bought property and it steamrolled,” Rachel says.
As a mom of five, Rachel and her family often wanted ice cream to celebrate a team win or concert with her kids but didn’t love the options that were available close by. “If people are going to spend money, we’re going to give right back to the school. Our Statesman flavor (named for the Webster Statesmen), we are giving a percentage back to the school.” Guests that come to the shop before or after a sporting event in their team’s uniform receive $1 off a scoop of ice cream.
The partners purchased the 800-square-foot space that houses Sylvie Dee’s along with multiple properties along Big Bend Boulevard, one of which is slated to be a bar in the coming months. Stepping inside Sylvie Dee’s is a nostalgic step back to a simpler time, when candy begins at a child’s eye level and cascades to the ceiling with every imaginable flavor.
Some customers recall the days of the now-shuttered Ben Franklin, formerly in Old Orchard, where children could choose from a wide variety of penny candy. “The whole point is to give the good memories had as kids from these candy shops to our own kids to have,” Rachel says. “We have had several older gentlemen come in and say, ‘That’s what we had when we were kids,’ and I think that’s awesome. I want it to be full of design and awesome but also nothing too complicated.” Walls are adorned with bright original art from co-owner Gretchen Lewis. There is indoor seating for 20, with a few tables and counter stools and more seating in the courtyard space outside. The courtyard features space for kids to play, and a walk-up window where guests can order Blueprint Coffee and Cake House Design pastries.
The ice cream menu at Sylvie Dee’s features Serendipity Ice Cream. “There’s something for everybody,” Rachel says. “We have soda, we have floats, malts and milkshakes.” The toppings list includes over twenty favorites, such as brownie bits, cookie dough, gummy bears, hot fudge, and more. Ice cream is available served in a cake cone, homemade waffle cone or a brownie bowl; vegan ice cream options are available, as well as gluten-free choices. Rachel said another popular item on their menu are the “puffies,” which she describes as “A little pancake/waffle ball, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar or ice cream and Nutella.” Puffies are available in a cone or a cup. In addition to ice cream and candy, Sylvie Dee’s also has brownies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream sandwiches, overnight oats, and donuts on the weekend.
Sylvie Dee's is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 8:30 p.m., Friday from noon to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The walk-up window is open Wednesday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow the shop on Instagram for more information and updates.
Sylvie Dee's Ice Cream, 8721 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, Missouri, 314-918-5472,sylviedees.com
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