The Penny Ice Creamery

The Penny Ice Creamery opened on Cedar Street in 2010 and has since earned a reputation that extends well beyond Santa Cruz — food writers from San Francisco and Los Angeles have made the pilgrimage, and the line on a summer Saturday evening is a reliable feature of downtown Santa Cruz life. For families visiting the area, it is one of those stops that locals mention in the same breath as the Boardwalk and the redwoods.

What sets Penny apart is the commitment to scratch production and seasonal sourcing. The team makes every flavor from base to finished scoop in-house, which gives them control that commercial operations simply cannot match. The dairy comes from local farms, the fruit is purchased from the farmers market when in season, and the flavor combinations reflect the creativity of a culinary team that genuinely loves ice cream as a medium.

The menu typically offers 10-16 flavors on any given day, rotating as seasons change. Expect classics executed with exceptional technique alongside rotating specials — seasonal flavors like strawberry balsamic in June or pumpkin cardamom in October. The shop maintains a small children's menu of simpler flavors for kids who are not ready for adventurous tastes, alongside the more sophisticated options.

The physical space is small — seating is limited inside with a few outdoor tables on the sidewalk. On busy evenings, most people eat their cones while walking, which is part of the downtown Santa Cruz experience. The shop has a second location on the Eastside of Santa Cruz (820 41st Ave) that is typically less crowded and worth considering for families trying to avoid the downtown tourist traffic.

For families, the Penny experience communicates something worth teaching: that real ingredients, careful craft, and local sourcing produce results that mass production cannot replicate. It is a $6 lesson in quality that most kids receive without knowing they are being taught.