Five years after getting its start in northeastern Johnson County, a popular ice creamery is heading further south.
Summer Salt Ice Cream Co. has a new Overland Park storefront in the works — its first location in that city after originating in Prairie Village.
Owner Curtis Thurston said they are shooting for an early June opening at the new shop, pending renovations at the space.
Summer Salt is coming to 4937 W. 119th St.
- The ice cream shop is moving into a space at the Hawthorne Plaza shopping center, across the street from Leawood’s Town Center Plaza.
- Jars by Fabio, a dessert shop serving sweet treats in jars, previously occupied that space before closing earlier this year.
- Once the new Summer Salt opens, its regular hours will likely be 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday through Sunday.
Summer Salt got its start in Prairie Village
Curtis and his wife, Amy Thurston, opened Summer Salt’s flagship location at the Corinth Square shopping center off 83rd Street and Mission Road in 2020.
The shop’s menu features a range of flavors, from salted caramel and mint chip to lavender honey and snickerdoodle.
Summer Salt is also known for its wide variety of vegan and dairy-free options.
In addition to its Prairie Village shop, Summer Salt also has a seasonal walk-up shop at the Ranch Mart North shopping center on 95th Street in Leawood. That shop opened in the summer of 2022.
This will be Summer Salt’s 3rd JoCo location
The new Hawthorne Plaza shop will be the furthest south that Summer Salt has ventured so far. But in a way, it’s kind of a full circle moment for Thurston.
A Blue Valley North High School alum himself, the new shop will be a return to his old “stomping grounds.”
The new Overland Park space is also the size of both of Summer Salt’s other stores combined, which Curtis said will allow for more production and freezer space.
Overland Park may not be where Summer Salt’s growth ends. Eventually, he said the goal is to scoop up a few more locations across the Kansas City metro.
“We’ve always had guests coming into our Corinth location, always asking us to go further south,” he said. “We’ve been looking to go further south for a while, and then the location at Hawthorne popped up.”
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