Capital Creamery closes in downtown B.R.

At a time when downtown is welcoming a slew of new restaurants, bars and specialty shops, it has lost its only ice cream parlor: Capital Creamery, which closed in late April after its lease was not renewed. “We were kind of disappointed,” says owner David Le. “But it is what it is.” Snappy Jacobs, who manages the building at North Boulevard and Third Street that housed Capital Creamery, says it was time to move in another direction, adding that he is working on a deal that will involve the newly vacated space as well as the adjacent space that the Downtown Newsstand previously occupied. “It has taken longer than I wanted,” says Jacobs, who began working on the deal after the newsstand closed last fall. “But we’re still working on it and are encouraged.” Le, who acquired Capital Creamery in 2008, says business was always touch and go, despite the store’s location in the heart of the central business district. “It was good when we had events or Live After Five,” he says. “But ice cream is not really a good business for down here.” Le says he is continuing to sell Kleinpeter’s ice cream during special events at the River Center and is exploring locations for a new business opportunity on the west side of the Mississippi River. —Stephanie Riegel