Cake Eater is a staple flavor, made with creamy vanilla pudding and rainbow sprinkles. Photo: Jagger Rose Photography
At this local ice pop shop, positivity and fresh flavors go hand-in-hand.
A frozen meal on a stick is a dream come true for a Stillwater dessert connoisseur.
Catie Kriewald, owner of Sticks, The Ice Pop Shop, says she’s always been drawn to food. From days spent in the kitchen as a child to bouts of stress-baking her way through college exams, Kriewald’s dream of opening a dessert shop was ever-present.
Kriewald’s late husband liked to cook, complementing his wife in the kitchen. The couple decided Kriewald would open a dessert shop once their three children were grown and out of the house. But, when Kriewald’s husband died unexpectedly in 2018, she developed a new perspective on life: it’s too short. “I didn’t want to wait anymore,” she says.
Kriewald picked up the pieces and bought a storefront in 2019 just two blocks from Stillwater’s Main Street. The 1889 building, originally a confectionary and frozen treat shop, was the perfect fit for what would become the shop’s specialty—ice pops.
Real Food
The idea for the ice pop concept came from a Kriewald family outing in the early 2000s. A shop they frequented while living in Nashville, Tennessee, featured ice pops made using real ingredients, rather than sugar water. Kriewald says the idea stuck with her. “I make it a goal to use real food as much as possible,” she says. “It’s really like a meal on a stick.”
Now, Sticks has an ice pop for everyone in an array of surprising flavors—available via walk-up window service at the Third Street shop.
Little Hass on the Prairie is a vegan and gluten-free avocado-based pop that typically comes with skepticism by its taste testers. “So far, everyone who likes avocado likes this flavor,” she says. “It’s fun to see how much they like it.”
It’s just one example of Kriewald’s ingenuity for both flavors and names. Other offerings include All Shook Up (Elvis-inspired peanut butter, banana and honey), Fudge Yeah! (rich, creamy chocolate) and Fancy Italian (strawberry with a hint of balsamic vinegar). “I try to have fun with the names,” she says. “… My goal is to make it to the Minnesota State Fair with [a] corn pudding flavor.”
The shop is home to seven staple flavors, and Kriewald rotates seasonal offerings—along with thoughtful messages.
Spreading Positivity
Kriewald adorns the sticks of each ice pop with an inspirational quote that changes monthly. “I base it on how I’m feeling that month,” she says of the messages. “For example, [last] October was all about facing your fears … I love the mental health component the messages offer.”
Sticks also has a mural that has space for customers to leave their own message of hope and inspiration. “I love to see what people write,” Kriewald says. “I rotate the mural out monthly, too. It usually goes with the sticks.”
Kriewald also has plans to cater weddings, noting the sticks could include a message of the couple’s choosing.
“I get a lot of joy in watching people try the ice pops and discover how good they are. It really fills my bucket,” she says. “I just want to have fun, make fun food and enjoy the community.”
Sticks, The Ice Pop Shop
315 Third St. S., Stillwater; 651.342.0221
Facebook: Sticks, the Ice Pop Shop
Instagram: @stickstheicepopshop
