New Aurora Ice Cream Shop Is Scooping Boundary-Pushing Flavors

The metro area has no shortage of ice cream shops, but one new addition is already gaining fans for its small-batch scoops with flavors that stand out in the scene. On January 19, as the arctic storm brought freezing temperatures to the metro area, a husband-and-wife team of longtime hospitality pros debuted their new venture, Darlene’s Ice Cream, in Aurora.

“We knew to be cautiously optimistic about a January opening date,” jokes Kyle Clark, who met his wife, pastry chef Joy Williams-Clark, over a decade ago, when they were both working as line cooks at ChoLon, the downtown restaurant known for its French onion soup dumplings. Most recently, Kyle was a chef at El Five, while Joy was the operations chef for its parent group, Edible Beats, which also includes Root Down, Linger and Vital Root.

“Given the timeline, we kind of needed to open,” Joy says. “On Monday, [January 19], all the kids were off school, and it was pleasantly busy all day, and then a steady flow the rest of the week. A handful of nights, we did far more than I expected with how cold it was.”

According to the pair, they’ve even already had repeat customers.

Small Batch, Big Flavors

Darlene’s operates as a true small-batch shop, producing just a few flavors per day using a commercial ice cream machine and blast freezer. Everything from the ice cream bases to the mix-ins and cones is made in-house.

“So often pastry is under-seasoned,” says Joy. “I don’t want ice cream that’s too sweet or icy or flat. Texture and balance matter.”

That philosophy shines through in the scoop shop’s boundary-pushing rotating flavors like toasted sesame with red miso caramel swirl; mango chile sorbet made with fresh mangos, chamoy and Tajin (which can be topped with even more chamoy and Tajin); key lime pie made with butter toasted graham, meringue pieces and key lime coulis folded into condensed milk and lime zest ice cream; and fudge brownie that tastes like you’re licking brownie batter off the spoon. 

Kyle sees the tasting process as part of the experience. “Most places don’t offer you something unless you ask,” he says. “We want dialogue. We want to help people discover flavors they wouldn’t normally choose.”

Even the classics like Not Just Vanilla, roasted strawberry jam, and the vegan dark chocolate are standouts that are perfectly creamy and not overly sweet. 

Beyond scoops, Darlene’s offers ice cream cakes and pies; house-made brownies, a perfectly textured sea salt brown butter chocolate chip cookie, and elevated novelty bars like a strawberry shortcake dipped in Valrhona strawberry chocolate and coated in a freeze-dried strawberry cookie crumble.

The coffee program is taken just as seriously. 

“We’ve always hated going somewhere where the coffee felt like an afterthought,” Kyle says. “If we’re going to do it, we want to do it well.”

Darlene’s features espresso from Queen City Collective, chosen for its citrusy profile and local roots, with hot and iced options like lattes, Americanos, cold brews, Bhakti Chai, affogatos and even an espresso tonic that includes a fresh squeeze of lemon. Customers can also build their own floats with root beer, Jarritos and Mexican cola. 

Coming soon, the Clarks are excited to launch a pint-of-the-month club that will allow them to experiment with funkier, more niche flavors inspired by their culinary backgrounds.

A Sweet Dream Come True

For Joy and Kyle, Darlene’s is the culmination of a shared life that started when they met. “We were knucklehead line cooks,” Joy recalls. “I even like to joke that we didn’t get along that well at first.”

Over time, mutual respect turned into friendship, then romance as they also grew their careers side by side. In January 2020, just before the world shut down, the two married. Now, they’re raising two kids and running their first brick-and-mortar business together.

Joy has been talking about opening an ice cream shop “since sixth grade,” according to her mother, and even worked at one as her first job.

“I don’t think I ever fully believed it would happen,” Joy admits. “But eventually you get to a point where you want something that’s yours.”

After years of dreaming, the couple stumbled upon a former smoothie shop looking for a new tenant, just a short walk from their home in Aurora. Joy’s mom, a constant source of encouragement, pushed them to take it seriously, even calling the leasing agent to schedule a tour for the couple.

“It felt like the universe had our backs,” Joy shares. “We wanted to be in our neighborhood. Walking to work, being part of our community, it mattered.”

The shop is named for Joy’s grandmother. “She never leaves a room without a new best friend,” Joy shares. “Whether you know her for five minutes or fifty years, you feel the same amount of love.”

At 91, Darlene has visited the shop and proudly sampled the ice cream. The branding, created by local designer Megan Sullivan (@megansullivan.art) and the hand-drawn menus by Joy’s sister, Faith, reflect the community and family feel of the space.

Despite opening in the midst of frigid January weather, business has been steady, and the couple is settling into their new neighborhood joint. “It’s very Colorado to eat ice cream when it’s snowing,” Joy concludes with a laugh.

Darlene’s Ice Cream is located at 3105 South Peoria Street in Aurora and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, visit darlenesicecream.com or follow @darelenes_icecream on Instagram.