Overview:
Town Pump Provisions brings Little Man Ice Cream, a convenience store and a deli together in Cherry Creek.
On August 15, Cherry Creek welcomed Town Pump Provisions, a three-part concept that combines a Little Man Ice Cream shop, a grab-and-go deli and an elevated neighborhood convenience store in the former Crepes & Crepes space.
The sweltering summer day didn’t stop the crowds from showing up to its opening. People packed the sidewalks, lining up for ice cream and sandwiches. “It’s just beautiful, and the outdoor space is great,” said Elizabeth Bacco, a mother who brought her 5-year-old son, Penn. “(They) just did a very nice job.”
Town Pump Provisions began as an idea from real estate broker Dana Monfort, who one day realized she had nowhere nearby to grab basic essentials like Advil after Safeway closed its Cherry Creek location in 2018. Inspired by bodegas in New York and a Napa Valley shop that sold snacks alongside good wine, she decided the neighborhood needed a place that was both convenient and elevated.
She found the perfect spot at the former Crepes & Crepes building and divided it into three parts: a bodega on the left, a grab-and-go deli in the center and a Little Man Ice Cream shop on the right. “It kind of just clicked,” Monfort told Westword of the mix, which she named Town Pump Provisions in honor of her family’s trucking roots. “I really wanted to maintain the character of this building. I think it’s so special and so cute.”
Neighbors in attendance on opening day appreciated the variety of the venue. “You can go shop at the bodega to get things you need, and then grab lunch or breakfast here, and then ice cream, of course,” local influencer Rayna Kingston said. “It’s super convenient and easy to get to when walking along the shops of Cherry Creek Plaza.”
For Little Man, the Cherry Creek store adds to a growing footprint that now serves about 7,000 scoops daily across 11 locations. Its 1956-themed delivery truck and nostalgic branding continue to draw crowds, while its philanthropy—such as the Scoop for Scoop program supporting education, child welfare, and hunger relief—remains central.
“That is very much a part of our ethos, to give back to communities and to be a hub,” said Basha Cohen, director of community partnerships.
“You see a lot of happy faces walking in,” adds Lucas Vinterella, who has worked at Little Man Ice Cream for the last three weeks, first as a trainee and now as an employee at the Cherry Creek location. “They’re coming to try our ice cream, and they leave with a smile on their face. People come in here for the experience. They come in here to have a good time, and that’s what we try to do here.”
Cohen, who worked for the company for over 12 years, says Little Man encourages volunteerism. ”We like to be involved; we like to be in the center of all of our communities,” she said.
Little Man’s community events are an homage to the reason it got its start in 2008. From swing dancing, bingo and movies, it continues to do what Cohen says “no other ice cream shops do.”
“Our three key tenets are education, childhood welfare and hunger relief,” Cohen said. “We do just simple [things]; we scoop for the teachers when they’re coming back to school or do events for the kids so that they get free ice cream. It kind of runs the gamut; we do fundraising nights for school so that they can bring money back.”
The opening day reflected that mix of mission and indulgence. Kingston and Claire Whitnah, marketing manager for Levin Deli Co., stopped by after lunch to sample flavors like Pistachio Orange Blossom and Strawberry Lemon Sorbet.
“I really love the intention of the menu design here and, overall, fresh, bright ingredients,” Whitnah said. “I feel like the combination of being able to get a little sandwich or salad and then a scoop of ice cream afterwards—what could be better as a little lunch treat?”
Not only were the adults head over heels for the atmosphere, but families were too. Bacco and her 5-year-old son, Penn, arrived following a sports camp. Bacco heard about the opening through Instagram and was curious to try out the new location in Cherry Creek.
“We really made our day around coming to the official opening to check it out and get [Penn] a root beer float, which he’s very excited about,” Bacco said.
Salty O, Little Man’s most popular flavor, was also a hit. The flavor, Cohen noted, was “actually a delicious mistake. We were making the ice cream, and somebody inadvertently knocked a bag of salt instead of sugar into the base, and so we tried it, and it has been our number one flavor for the last 17 years. It’s basically a salty version of cookies and cream.”
Between Little Man’s playful flavors and Town Pump’s mix of bodega essentials and fresh meals, the complex is designed to fill multiple needs in the neighborhood. And while many businesses are struggling, Cohen said Little Man continues to receive weekly pitches for expansion. “We are really trying to be thoughtful about where the expansion will go next,” she said.
For now, Cherry Creek’s newest corner offers something rare: a place where neighbors can grab Advil, a sandwich and a cone of ice cream all in one stop.
