A Scoop of Small-Town Joy: City Hall Creamery Celebrates One Year in Jordan
By Andy Buckner
In towns across America, summer nights often end with kids in team uniforms lined up at the local ice cream shop—laughing with friends, savoring a treat, and soaking in the freedom of school-free days. It’s the kind of simple, joyful experience that families hope to find in the communities where they choose to raise their children.
Such an experience had been lacking for many years in the town of Jordan. That is, until Tim and Tresa Larkin took it upon themselves to open City Hall Creamery & Coffee in the town’s historic downtown area. On June 28, 2024, they brought to life a dream they had both held for their own unique reasons.
“My great-grandparents had family in Mahnomen, Minnesota,” Tim recalled. That Minnesota connection gave the Chicago native and his brother an opportunity each summer to experience life outside of the big city . “My parents would stick us on a bus to Minneapolis. I had an uncle who lived in the area, he would pick us up and drive us up to Mahnomen. We would spend our summers in these small cabins.”
It was during those summers up north that Tim fell in love with a culture that was drastically different from what he knew.
“I just fell in love with the whole small-town Minnesota thing. We could just go fish, sit on a boat all day, drink Coca-Cola and eat peanuts,” Tim said. The classic Minnesota experience was helping him cast a vision for his future. “I always thought I just wanted to open up an ice cream store in a small town in Minnesota and just do that for the rest of my life.”
“The small town thing is good for his soul,” says Tresa, herself a Jordan native.
Remembering the time before she and her husband permanently settled in Minnesota together, Tresa recalled, “He didn’t realize that deer with spots were just baby deer. He thought they were a different brand of deer. One time I remember him saying ‘I knew cows existed, I had just never seen one.’”
Tim would make several stops in life before realizing his dream, including a career in the lending business. That work led him to settle in Minnesota, where he would eventually meet Tresa and partner with her to begin their own finance company.
For Tresa, the specific dream of opening up an ice cream shop in Jordan was especially personal. Her parents owned the Dairy Queen along Highway 169 in Jordan that has since been turned into a drive-thru and walk-up Caribou Coffee shop. The years she spent helping her parents run their business left a lasting impression and a desire to provide the same sort of memories for her hometown years after her parents closed up shop.
“We wanted to create that small community space where, after the choir concert, everyone comes over. Or we’ll sponsor your softball team and after you win your game, come on over and get some ice cream,” she said.
Ever since the Larkins opened up their downtown ice cream shop, Tresa can be seen in the shop just about every day. With Tim handling much of the behind-the-scenes work, Tresa has worked hard over the past year to help establish a routine for successfully running the day-to-day operations.
“She’s probably worked harder at this job than she’s worked at any other job,” Tim said of the work that his wife has put in. “She’s got it all figured out,” he boasted.
To help with the day-to-day functions of the shop, The Larkins have hired many local teenagers to work the ice cream and coffee counters. The founders value the experience that they are able to give those kids.
“I love watching kids work. It’s just great,” Tim said.
Helping the community’s young people learn on-the-job skills is not the only value strongly upheld at City Hall Creamery & Coffee. All around the shop, one can seen badges and headwear of first responders. Tim’s father is the former head of the Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department’s Narcotics division. Tresa, meanwhile, is related to several chiefs of police. The Larkins knew they wanted to use their shop to honor the legacy of many of their close friends and family who have served as first responders.
“Where I grew up, you were either a firefighter or policeman,” Tim said. “As long as someone tells us or we know they are first responders, they get free coffee and ice cream.”
Now almost a year into their passion project, the Larkins have been pleasantly surprised with how much success they have achieved. They have even stayed busy during winter months.
“Who wants to have ice cream in the middle of January, right?” Tim remarked. However, the coffee customers - and even the occasional ice cream consumer - kept coming in. With nearly a year under their belt, the Larkins are excited to know that this endeavor can be successful and create the strong community experience they have long hoped to provide.
“Now that we see that something like this can be successful in a small town… we’re gonna stay open, stay staffed. It’s been a great year. During the summer days it’s nuts here. After dinner, that’s when the big rush is. It’s been very well received. The city has been super positive with us,” Tim remarked of the shop’s first year of existence.
That positivity is the bottom line for the Larkins. Their ultimate goal is not profits, nor is it to compete with other businesses. They simply want to provide a place where the community can enjoy each other’s company.
“We’re just doing it because we like doing it, to be honest with you,” Tim said. “We’re committed to this community and making this community better. Ice cream is about fun. We want to have fun, we want kids to have fun.”
“We want it to be affordable here so anybody can come here and be able to afford ice cream,” he added. Four dollars is enough for someone at the shop to get two large scoops, with prices maxing out at $8.50 for a waffle bowl that holds five big scoops of up to four different flavors. In spite of the cheap price, the quality is not compromised.
“We buy various ice creams from New York. We have five or six different brands that we use… it’s some of the best,” Tim said. Customers seem to agree with his analysis, with many coming back on a regular basis - sometimes daily. It is a hotspot for grandparents and babysitters to bring the kids they care for while their parents are at work during summer days. And of course, a long line - sometimes out the door - can be seen on an almost nightly basis after sporting events and other activities have wrapped up for the night.
All told, it is an exciting but simple mission that the Larkins have embarked on: affordable but delicious ice cream, fun, and ultimately, a memorable place for all people to come and enjoy some of the best parts of small-town living. In light of this, Tresa summed up the first year of the endeavor in two simple words:
“Mission accomplished.”
City Hall Creamery & Coffee is located at 116 2nd St. E, Jordan, MN 55352. They are open every day from 7 AM to 9 PM. To learn more about the store, visit “City Hall Creamery & Coffee” on Facebook or @cityhallcreameryandcoffee on Instagram.