1 / 6

BYU Creamery on Ninth store director Keith LeBaron cuts a ribbon to formally open the new store Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

2 / 6

The new BYU Creamery on Ninth is pictured Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

3 / 6

Brigham Young University President Shane Reese speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new BYU Creamery on Ninth Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Provo.

4 / 6

The new BYU Creamery of Ninth East is pictured Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

5 / 6

Customers order food at the new BYU Creamery on Ninth Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

6 / 6

The new BYU Creamery of Ninth East is pictured in an undated photo.

Sydnie Alder, BYU Photo

❮ ❯

To understand the significance of ice cream on Brigham Young University’s campus, look no further than an anecdote from the school’s president, Shane Reese.

While speaking Monday prior to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new BYU Creamery on Ninth, Reese recalled the first task he handled when he began his presidency on May 1, 2023. It wasn’t a budgeting concern or a personnel issue, but an inquiry from the dining services officials.

“The very first issue, the very first phone call I received as president of this institution, is one that said, ‘As president of BYU, you get to pick your own ice cream flavor,'” Reese said.

That phone call marked the genesis of “In-Shane-ly Chocolate,” one the creamery’s many ice cream flavors that have become a staple of the campus’ creamery on 900 East in Provo.

The creamery, which doubles as a grocery store, recently moved to a new building next door to the west that is 71% larger in size, allowing for more grocery items and a larger dining area.

The university expects the larger location to better provide goods — and ice cream — to those who stop in, and serve as “a remarkable gathering place” for students, Reese said.

“The things that they’ll carry with them after they leave this campus are so much the relationships that they built while here on this campus, and those relationships are going to happen in remarkable ways in this space behind me,” Reese said. “It’ll happen over ice cream, it’ll happen over a burger, it’ll happen over fries.”

The creamery officially opened to the public Dec. 4, but held formal grand opening ceremony Monday. In just its first month, the store doubled its revenue of what it made in an month at the previous story, BYU said, which may be the result of an excited community and a larger space to serve more customers.

“What we want to do is make sure the students have a great place to shop, a fun place to hang out and just meet people and be able to get what they need to,” said store director Keith LeBaron. “I think with adding so much more variety in the grocery department, we’re already seeing that they’re super excited for that.”

When BYU was first determining where to build a new creamery, managing director of dining services Brent Craig said they looked at around a half dozen locations but keyed in a spot next door to the old one, keeping the location on Ninth East.

Craig said the goal was to build something that kept the traditions of the old store, but in a bigger, more relaxed space.

One feature built to accomplish this is a climate-controlled outdoor patio with heaters in the winter and coolers in the summer.

“We’re just trying to make it as comfortable as possible for an outdoor scene for gathering,” Craig said.

“I think we saw it all December how full it was, every lunch and dinner, and the heaters have really helped,” LeBaron added. “We’ve had a mild winter, and that’s part of it too. But it’s a nice place out there. And you get to look out on Y Mountain, and it’s a great spot to hang out and eat some food.”

There is also a larger dining area on the interior, fitted with ice cream cone-shaped lampshades. There is a bakery making fresh-made bread and pastries, and a bigger selection of produce. Craig teased that a Cosmo statue will soon be placed in the store front, similar to the one in the bookstore.

“This just such a fun place to be,” LeBaron said. “I don’t see a lot of people that aren’t smiling at the Creamery. Whether they’re coming for a burger or an ice cream, or their groceries, it’s a really fun place. So I think that’s the biggest thing.”