A new artisan ice cream shop has started scooping in North Raleigh, and it's leaning hard into North Carolina dairy and flavors you won't find at the usual chains. Ladybug Creamery opened at 3710 Exchange Glenwood Place, inside the Sojourn Apartments building near Glenwood Avenue and the Beltline, with a rotating lineup of a dozen flavors and a $6 scoop price.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the shop opened on Nov. 1 under the leadership of Onur Yilmaz, who studied gastronomy and culinary arts and spent years working in professional kitchens before turning his focus to ice cream. The creamery's own site echoes that trajectory, noting that Yilmaz “spent years in professional kitchens before ice cream became the thing he couldn't put down,” according to Ladybug Creamery. The shop had been expected for a while — Glenwood Place had listed it as “coming soon,” and Raleigh Magazine reported on Oct. 1 that it was expected to open at Glenwood Place that month.
Twelve Flavors, Local Dairy and a Farm-to-Cone Pitch
Per the News & Observer, Ladybug Creamery makes 12 rotating flavors daily, sorted into categories the shop calls signatures, classics, international and seasonal. Three flavors stay on the menu year-round: Milk & Honey, Turkish coffee and pistachio. The shop describes its Milk & Honey scoop as “Organic North Carolina dairy meets the famous Sourwood Honey. Served with a piece of honeycomb,” per Ladybug Creamery's website.
The shop sources dairy, fruit and honey from North Carolina farms and says it uses no artificial flavors or colors, according to the News & Observer. Ladybug Creamery's own site backs up the farm-forward pitch, describing “Fresh dairy from North Carolina farms, fruit picked in season from the fields, real honey, real chocolate — and every topping baked, boiled or roasted here in our own kitchen.” The shop says it has perfected its recipes and sourced local produce to deliver what it calls a farm-to-cone experience.
There's also a name story behind the brand. Ladybug Creamery says the name is meant to carry connotations of luck, hope, new beginnings and making something meaningful in a new place, according to the News & Observer. The shop also flags a practical note for allergy-conscious customers: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame are all handled in the same small space, so the creamery warns that cross-contact is possible in any flavor, sorbets included, per its website.
Hours, Grand Opening and a $6 Scoop
The News & Observer reports Ladybug Creamery is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 9 p.m. WRAL's Foodie News column likewise reported the shop was open Thursday through Sunday afternoons at the time of its report, and that it planned to start with 12 flavors — including two dairy-free sorbets — at $6 a scoop. WRAL also reported that Ladybug Creamery plans to hold a grand opening at Glenwood Place on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The News & Observer says it reached out to Ladybug Creamery for comment and planned to update its story once it hears back.
More Scoops and Fewer Cookies Across the Triangle
Ladybug Creamery isn't the only new name angling for Triangle dessert fans. Millie's Homemade has announced an upcoming location in downtown Raleigh's City Market, according to the News & Observer, and Triangle Business Journal reports the shop plans to open downtown by the end of the year with another Wake County location in the works. Meanwhile, Crumbl Cookies closed multiple Triangle locations in 2026 after low sales and leadership changes, per the News & Observer — a reminder that dessert trends in the area can shift fast, even as independent shops like Ladybug Creamery try to carve out their own niche with local sourcing and a smaller, rotating menu.
