Lost And Found Ice Cream Opening Storefront In Downtown Moncton
MONCTON—After 12 years as a professional chef, Jonathan Morrison is ready to chill out from the volatile restaurant industry— by opening an ice cream shop.
His new store, Lost and Found Ice Cream, is slated to open at 108 St. George Street on May 8.
Morrison said he felt the inspiration to open the shop after spending time as Chef de Cuisine at Clos, a casual, fine-dining restaurant in downtown Moncton. He said the Covid-19 pandemic pushed him in that direction and made him realize how “volatile” restaurants can be.
“The type of restaurants that I work in are a little bit higher end and you can’t really take hospitality and put it in a box,” said Morrison. “Whereas ice cream, you know, everybody loves ice cream and the product speaks for itself.”
Morrison started making gourmet ice cream while working at Origines Cuisine, an Acadian restaurant in Caraquet owned by his friend, Ben Cormier. As the restaurant rotated the menu each week, he found himself making different flavours each week and started to sell pint-sized containers.
Related: Moncton Chef Wants To Fill The Gourmet Ice Cream Niche
After almost two years of selling products on the side, Lost and Found Ice Cream will open its storefront on St. George Street in downtown Moncton. Morrison secured the space thanks to Susan and Gene Cormier, the co-owners of Halo Donuts, located not too far from Lost and Found.
“They actually recommended the space to me, I didn’t even know it was open,” said Morrison. “It just seemed like a really good fit since people were coming in this location already for a homemade dessert. We thought it would be a great idea to complement it with ice cream.”
When customers walk into the location, they can expect a space that showcases homemade items and the production that goes into them. There’s no seating area, but Morrison separates the shop with a wall that allows consumers to see how the ice cream is made.
Lost and Found will offer a variety of eight flavours, including vegan and dairy-free options, which customers can have served in a cone, dish, or in homemade sandwiches and cookies. Morrison plans to continue selling pint-sized containers at stores around the region and eventually expand across Atlantic Canada.
“I just want to show people that, you know, there is a little bit of work behind what we’re doing,” he said. “It creates a bond between the customer and they get to appreciate a little bit more.”
While some business owners feel worried about opening a retail space during the Covid-19 pandemic, that’s not what Morrison is concerned about – he’s nervous about venturing into business on his own.
“It’s mostly just … doing something where there’s nobody else to fall back on,” said Morrison. “I’m so used to managing restaurants, but it’s kind of a different feeling when every kind of decision is made by yourself.”
Still, he’s excited about the opportunity to open his location.
“Just being able to see the customer firsthand and [see them] enjoy a product that has been around for a long, long time, but we’ve kind of taken and put our own twist on it,” said Morrison.
Lost and Found Ice Cream opens at noon on May 8 and will operate Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Aaron Sousa is a summer intern for Huddle. Send him story suggestions: [email protected].