A new ice cream shop on Britton Road is scooping up more than just dessert — it is serving a tribute to a mother who used to make homemade ice cream for her family. Ruth’s Scoops opened at 1156 W. Britton Road in Oklahoma City’s Britton Heights area, and owner Tanya Jackson named the shop after her mother, Ruth, whose recipes form the backbone of the menu.
Jackson developed the shop’s ice cream recipes with help from her sisters, drawing directly on memories of her mother making ice cream for the family, according to News 9. Neither Jackson nor her family had previous retail or restaurant experience before opening the shop, the station reports. The menu includes flavors like Caramel Lush, Banana Pudding, Superman ice cream, and Biscoff Cookies, alongside a nondairy sweet potato ice cream inspired by her mother’s sweet potato pie.
Jackson has also shown she is willing to go off-menu for customers. The station’s report notes she planned to whip up a pumpkin ice cream within 48 hours after a customer requested it — a sign of the shop’s hands-on, made-to-order approach. Ruth’s Scoops also serves freshly made lemonade that customers can customize with fresh ingredients.
A Strong Early Response
Since officially opening, Ruth’s Scoops has been in business less than two weeks, and Jackson says the response has been strong, even pulling in a regular known around the neighborhood as OG Thander man.
Jackson has said she feels her mother’s presence in the shop that carries her name.
A Historic Corridor Built for Foot Traffic
Ruth’s Scoops is opening into a commercial corridor that has been the focus of years of municipal investment. The shop is at 1156 W. Britton Road in the Britton Heights area.
Revitalization efforts in the Britton District have included a streetscape project. In March 2025, the city completed a streetscape overhaul along Britton Road between Western Avenue and Classen Boulevard, improving sidewalk safety, bike lanes, and pedestrian access for roughly 16,000 daily drivers. MAPS 4 funded sidewalks and bike lanes in the district, as reported by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
Route 66 Roots Run Through the Neighborhood
The Britton District carries a layered history that predates its current retail revival. The original town of Britton was founded in 1889 along the Santa Fe Railway, operating as its own municipality until residents voted by a narrow 30-vote margin to be annexed into Oklahoma City in 1950, according to First Enterprise Bank. From 1936 to 1953, Britton was a popular Route 66 stop.
Oklahoma holds more drivable lane miles of Route 66 than any other state, with over 400 miles crossing the state, giving historic corridors like Britton added tourism significance.
Scoops and Hours
For now, the draw at 1156 W. Britton Road remains the ice cream itself. Ruth’s Scoops is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., with updates on new flavors posted to its social media account, @ruthsscoops.
