edible seattle | Summer 2025 9 Rather than taking on the heavy lifting required to open a full-service restaurant, they opted to produce small-batch gelatos. With Landis’s affinity for people and Proctor’s mad scientist kitchen skills, making gelato felt like the perfect fit. “We didn’t originally set out to make gelato,” admits Landis. “Sofie’s Scoops actually began as an ice cream concept. But after some thoughtful research and reflection, we realized gelato made far more sense for us.” Gelato’s lower fat content allows them to craft more complex flavors that showcase their pristine ingredients and experimental combinations. Initially, Sofie’s Scoops was to be a food truck. However, an opportunity appeared to move into the vibrant, bustling 222 Market in downtown Olympia—an ideal setting, surrounded by complementary offerings of freshly harvested oysters, baked goods, tacos, wine, flowers and gifts. The market naturally draws foot traffic, and Sofie’s Scoops is now perfectly positioned at its heart. Visitors can’t help but pass by the shop and be greeted by inviting smiles and generous samples. Landis works mainly with their customers and staff in the “Scoop Shop” inside 222 Market, except for the occasional production day, when she moonlights in the kitchen on State Street, which is where Proctor spends the majority of his time. Sofie’s Scoops’ gelato is what you might call “hyperseasonal.” With a rotating menu of unique flavors based on the fresh fruits, herbs and produce provided by local growers, customers can expect a constantly rotating menu. Whether it’s a simple scoop in a waffle cone, a sundae or a milkshake laced with scratch-made dulce de leche sauce, you’re walking away with an incredibly happy belly. Chris Proctor, co-owner of Sofie’s Scoops, spends much of his time at their State Street kitchen, creating the bases and fixings that make their unique flavors. Integrity in ingredients All Proctor and Landis’ work experience reinforced one lesson in particular: quality ingredients make all the difference. With easy access to many food producers in Thurston County, local dairy, fresh fruits and herbs are the cornerstone of each flavor they develop. Sourcing local strawberries from Boisfort Valley Farm, picked at their peak, not only tastes better, it gives their strawberry gelato a vibrant pink color, tempting even the staunchest dieter. The way Landis looks at it, if you’re going to splurge, splurge on sustainably sourced whole foods. Handcrafting a product with only the best ingredients is a non-negotiable for Landis and Proctor. Their cocoa powder and chocolate come from Bellingham, and their eggs are sourced at home in Thurston County. Honored with the prestigious Snail of Approval Award from Slow Food Greater Olympia in 2024, Sofie’s Scoops is recognized regionally for their commitment to quality, sustainability and supporting local producers. “It really just came down to integrity,” says Landis. “We were like, ‘Okay, who are we as people? How do we feel about the world and our food systems?’” Proctor and Landis made intentional choices about how they’d make their product, placing their priorities on people, the planet and then profit—in that order. Many ice cream and gelato shops use ready-made pasteurized bases to make products churned on-site. By pasteurizing the dairy they receive and creating their own bases, Sofie’s maintains complete control over flavor and quality. They can customize each recipe to suit specific ingredients, using heat to activate flavors that wouldn’t be possible with a cold-blended, premade base. This approach allows for better butterfat and sugar content balance across different gelato varieties, avoiding the one-size-fits-all limitation of commercial bases. Although in-house pasteurization requires extra equipment and expertise, it eliminates the need for artificial flavors, stabilizers or preservatives, resulting in a truly artisanal product. Proctor mixes sugar, milk and cream and heats that mixture to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. The base is held at this temperature for 30 minutes, which kills off any harmful bacteria that might be present in the dairy, while keeping the good bacteria and probiotics intact. It takes a village—or a farmers market Gelato comprises two essential components: dairy and sugar. It’s vital that those are of the highest quality. Compared to milk from the grocery store, the dairy Sofie’s Scoops sources from TUNaWerth Creamery (formerly in Tenino, now in Oakville) costs twice as much. Knowing they’re sourcing from a family-run business producing the best tasting dairy, with integrity and a focus on the quality of their product and the health of their animals, makes the expense worth it to Landis and Proctor. Anita and Peter de Boer’s herd of Jersey and Holstein cows is fed an all-natural diet, raised without rBST or antibiotics, and given year-round pasture access when weather allows. Formerly from the Netherlands, the de Boer’s learned to dairy farm after moving to the US in 1996, using recipes passed down through generations to make unique types of cheese.
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