To cool the palate down after some blazing hot chicken, for somewhere special to take the family or a date, or just to satisfy those occasional sweet cravings, Janarty’s Homemade Ice Cream in the Smyrna Depot District offers a rotating variety of quality, small-batch ice cream flavors and other unique treats.

The downtown Smyrna dessert shop usually has some of the beloved traditional ice cream flavors—cookies and creme, chocolate, mint and vanilla. But Janarty’s, which bills itself as a “microcreamery” and prides itself on offering fresh, premium ice cream, brings all sorts of cool creations into its rotation.

One recent customer was pleased to find a tasty and creamy brown sugar cinnamon ice cream in the display freezer of the locally owned shop.

Other special flavors may include honey lavender, coconut cinnamon cardamon, Thai tea, brown sugar bourbon, and Earl Gray lavender, among many others.

Shop owners Marty and Janelle Schiff say they are open to customer suggestions for future ice cream flavors.

Customers from the Smyrna area and beyond have not only gotten to know the shop for its delicious ice cream, but many also praise Janarty’s as a cute shop with a welcoming atmosphere that offers friendly, personal service and seems to be a local business that demonstrates a true appreciation for its customers and the community.

“The double chocolate is the best ice cream I’ve ever had,” Cindi Spain said after a visit to the shop.

Others go for the mint, while another patron, Caitlyn, reported that the lemon ice cream was delicious.

The waffle cones and bowls themselves get positive reviews as well.

The waffle bowl was great, very, very good and fresh—nicely done. It may be a little overly sweet, if anything, especially when paired with the sweet ice cream, but the Janarty’s crew does a fantastic job on the light and crisp texture of these freshly-made waffle cones and bowls.

“The waffle cone was the best I have ever had. I am not even close to kidding. Best waffle cone ever in my life,” Robert Ridgeway posted in a review. “The chocolate shake was amazing and the fudge was superb.”

The shop owners, Janelle and Marty, constructed the name Janarty’s as a portmanteau of their own names.

“Every downtown needs a sweets shop!” according to information from the business.

They found what they call “the perfect location in the perfect town” and have been churning out that sweet cream since 2018; the ice cream shop marked a new chapter for Marty, who spent many years as a touring guitarist for his sister (an aspiring country music artist by the name of Martina McBride).

“We worked hard, did a lot of research (also just an excuse to eat a lot of ice cream) and committed to making the best ice cream anywhere. The first flavors we made were Double Chocolate and Andes Mint, which are still customer favorites to this day.”

Janarty’s produces this ice cream onsite, from scratch, slow-churned, and frozen just a gallon at a time with no added fillers or preservatives—“unheard of in the industry,” according to the Schiffs.

While they have developed and made many, many flavors over the past six years, Janarty’s only puts out maybe 8 or 10 at a time. So, while there may not be 31 or more flavors to choose from, this ensures maximum freshness. Customers can order with confidence, knowing they have not been sitting for too long and there will be no freezer burn.

The scoops are somewhat small; one of the few common complaints about Janarty’s is that customers would like just a little bit more of a good thing.

One customer said that he found the ice cream quite tasty, but “be prepared to pay a pretty penny for not much ice cream.” (Plus, the shop charges 50 cents each for toppings).

The owners defend their pricing, though, and point out that their focus on small batches, quality ingredients, and the production time in making from scratch justifies the price charged and the amount served. Plus, the Janarty’s offerings display a slightly denser and creamier consistency than some other ice creams containing filler ingredients and lots of air whipped in, so the scoops can indeed appear small.

But the taste is great and plenty of locals are pleased to purchase from the place.

“Best waffle cone ever. Family owned and operated, I was happy to support a local business and the ice cream was delicious,” Bryon Goodman commented. “And: chocolate covered Oreos!”

Yes, Janarty’s bakes, and dips, various other treats found at the Smyrna shop—this may include cookies, s’mores brownies, white chocolate-covered Oreos, banana bread, chocolate-covered strawberries, fudge and other items.

This writer very much enjoyed a rich and moist matcha cookie—sweet, but with a very strong herbal tea flavor popping through.

Also, find lattes and cappuccinos at Janarty’s, as well as affocanos—espresso poured over any ice cream flavor.

Also, the space contains fun photo spots and a children’s area with a small table just for the little ones, where they can enjoy their dish of dessert.

“Seriously, some of the best ice cream I’ve had in a long time,” Nashville restaurateur and Food Network personality Maneet Chauhan said regarding Janarty’s, “and y’all know how serious I am about my ice cream.”

IF YOU GO:

Janarty’s Homemade Ice Cream
111 Front St., Smyrna
Open every day except Tuesdays: 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
615-918-0085
2 scoops of ice cream: $4.79; Waffle Bowl: $1.59; Cookie: $2.75
janartys.com