“The whole idea behind CREAM came from my childhood, when we made ice cream sandwiches at home, and it was kind of a staple. When we turned that family tradition into a business, customers really responded to the idea of turning childhood nostalgia into a treat that’s easily accessible.

“We thought about different products we enjoyed as kids, and mom used to make Belgian waffles for us on Sunday mornings while watching cartoons. We tried it out recently with ice cream in between, and it was great, so we wanted to offer it to the customers. During our testing phases, people were very excited about it.

“Our signature waffle batter has a little sweetness to it, so a combination with salt—like a salted caramel or a cinnamon caramel chill ice cream—is tasty. What I like to do is put banana fudge walnut ice cream in between the waffle and top it with some syrup. It’s like a peanut butter waffle ice cream sandwich with syrup—it’s breakfast on the go, so I love it.

“What’s unique about this sandwich is it’s made to order. So we have the batter, and when you come to the counter and order a waffle sandwich, we’re putting the batter in the waffle press right there on the spot. They’re not pre-cooked and re-warmed. It’s fresh, crispy, ready to go, made to order. So it’s really exciting. That gives us the flexibility to do mix-ins and respond to customers. If they want chocolate chips in their batter, no problem, we can do that.”

—Gus Shamieh

Cofounder & President, CREAM