FORT PIERCE FOLKS
48
THE ICE CREAM CONCOCTOR
BY KERRY FIRTH
island, and I seized the opportunity to create my own brand.
I wanted something purposeful and original, done right and
with ice cream the way people remembered it.”
Knowing nothing about making ice cream, Beville started
researching it on the internet, watching how-to videos on
YouTube and visiting ice cream shops everywhere she went.
She even took her father and attended an ice cream school
where she learned how to operate a batch freezer and combine
ingredients and flavorings.
After purchasing a batch freezer and setting it up in her
garage, she began experimenting, with help from family and
friends who inspired and tasted all her signature flavors. At
the same time, she was renovating an old space she found
on the island. The plaza has a lovely breezeway for patrons
who want to sit outside and smell the fresh ocean air, while
enjoying their frozen treat. Inside, she transformed the empty
space to include a cozy sitting area with an inviting modern
yet nostalgic decor and old Florida photos and signage.
“When someone comes into the store they don’t see big
glass display cases with five-gallon containers of open ice
cream,” she explained. “Instead, we have our daily and
special flavors written on chalk boards with a friendly face
behind the counter to answer any questions and offer a taste
test. All our ice cream and Italian ices are made in small
batches daily and stored in sealed gallon containers to ensure
Tucked inside the breezeway of the Colonnades Plaza
on South Beach is an old-fashioned ice cream shop
that serves hand-crafted ice cream and Italian ice that
tastes generations away from the commercial brands more
commonly served by retailers. Cream Republic is a step
back in time with a beachy chic, farmhouse décor, friendly
proprietors and homemade ice cream churned daily on
Hutchinson Island.
Owner Amanda Beville is a Fort Pierce native who grew
up riding horses and raising farm animals west of town and
loving every trip she made to the beach and beautiful Intracoastal.
She knew she wasn’t the only one who yearned for
an authentic taste of yesteryear in a time when the community
was constantly moving forward.
So after moving back home, she set about creating a local
space inspired by Old Florida nostalgia that would give a
memorable experience with an exceptional product and great
customer service. Beville had enjoyed a successful full-time
career as a sales representative for a building supply company
but always wanted something more. After living out of state
for a while and climbing the corporate ladder, she returned to
her hometown and started looking for the right opportunity.
“My mind is constantly creating, developing new ideas,
concepts and experiences,” Beville said enthusiastically. “After
all these years, there still wasn’t an ice cream shop on the
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ANTHONY INSWASTY
Amanda Beville serves
up handcrafted ice cream
and Italian ice at Cream
Republic on South Beach
in Fort Pierce.