Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is on its way to The Shops at La Cantera, bringing the brand's first scoop shop to San Antonio. The new kiosk is slated to take over the former Bahama Bucks shaved-ice spot and will give locals access to a full scoop counter instead of just the pints they have been pulling from grocery freezers. Construction and permitting records point to a buildout wrapping up by late spring, although Jeni's has not set an official opening date.
According to CultureMap San Antonio, the company teased its Alamo City debut in a March newsletter and on social media, while state project filings indicate a kiosk at 15900 La Cantera Pkwy. CultureMap reports that the San Antonio shop is part of a four-store expansion that also includes new locations in Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia.
What to expect from the scoop shop
Jeni's, founded in Columbus, Ohio, by James Beard Award winner Jeni Britton Bauer in 2002, has built a reputation for ingredient-focused and often surprising flavors, according to Jeni's. The chain typically rotates an inventive lineup in each parlor and even rolled out two Bridgerton-inspired flavors earlier this year in a collaboration with Netflix, as reported by Parade.
Where it will sit in La Cantera
The kiosk will join the tenant mix at The Shops at La Cantera, located at 15900 La Cantera Pkwy, according to the mall's official site The Shops at La Cantera. Business listings and local building records indicate that a Bahama Bucks kiosk previously operated in that spot, backing up reports that the site is being converted for a new tenant, per MapQuest.
Local reporting notes that Jeni's has yet to announce a public grand-opening date, but state licensing and accessibility filings cited by local outlets outline an end-of-May target for completing kiosk renovations. As CultureMap San Antonio points out, that timeline is tentative and could shift based on construction progress and staffing.
For now, San Antonians who have been grabbing pints at gourmet markets can look forward to cones, flights and shop-only scoops on site. The brand's grocery locator notes that Jeni's partners with regional grocers and ships pints nationwide Jeni's. This story will be updated once the company confirms an opening celebration and the La Cantera scoop lineup.
