Walk into Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa and you’ll likely see a familiar face — maybe the neighbor ahead of you in line or the teenager scooping your cone. That sense of connection is exactly what owner Trevor Terrill hoped to create.
Terrill, who has lived in Napa for 20 years, moved from the East Bay with his wife, Chelsea, who grew up here. A longtime ice cream lover but not a chef, he spent more than a decade in wine marketing before deciding he wanted something more creative and more personal.
The “Family Favorites” menu is displayed at Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
Tubs of ice cream sit in the display case at Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
Theda’s Ice Creamery owner Trevor Terrill stands inside his Napa shop, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
Hunter Griffin, right, helps Emanuel and Penelope Macias, 7, with their order at Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
Trevor Terrill, left, serves ice cream samples to Rex, 6, Sadie, 11, and Cecelia, 9, at Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
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The “Family Favorites” menu is displayed at Theda’s Ice Creamery in Napa, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
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“I was scared,” Terrill said. “Why am I quitting a job without having another lined up?” But he trusted his leap of faith.
The couple had long dreamed of opening an ice cream shop, keeping a shared notes app filled with flavor ideas inspired by their travels. When they finally found the right space — a former Subway at 3214 Jefferson St. in the Grape Yard shopping center — Terrill signed a lease in April and spent months transforming it. The shop officially opened Oct. 7.
The name, Theda’s, honors Terrill’s late grandmother. The two used to make ice cream together, and her presence is everywhere in the shop, from a “family wall” covered in photos of Terrill’s loved ones to the flavors themselves.
Terrill and Chelsea kept the project secret from their two daughters until the day they drove them to the storefront, unlocked the door and announced it was theirs. “They lost it in the best way possible,” Terrill said.
Their oldest, Delaney, a student at Vintage High School, now works behind the counter — her first job. “It’s one of the brightest parts of my day when my kid walks in,” Terrill said.
Theda’s employs a dozen teens, most of them local high school students. Terrill received 150 applications after posting one job listing on Instagram. For many of the new hires, it’s their first taste of work life and responsibility.
Delaney and fellow scooper Sophia Fiene said the experience has been rewarding. “My dad is my best friend,” Delaney said. “It’s really nice knowing I get to hang out with him at work.”
Sophia said she applied to gain work experience before college and appreciated the chance to learn responsibility and manage a schedule — not just to earn money.
A menu with heart and local flavor
Theda’s menu features eight staple flavors and eight seasonal ones, including a weekly “Farmers Market” flavor based on what’s fresh at the Napa Farmers Market. Favorites last month included Cookie Dough & Cream, Rory’s Bake House Cookies and Milk, and Nana’s Shortbread — a brown butter ice cream swirled with raspberry jam and shortbread made in-house, inspired by the Scottish Empire Biscuit Terrill once baked with his grandmother.
Though he’s self-taught, Terrill attended a three-day “scoop school” outside St. Louis to refine his skills. And he’s not just focused on ice cream, he’s also building connections with other local businesses.
Each month, Theda’s collaborates with a different Napa business to create a special flavor. The first partnership was with Rory’s Bake House, followed by one with Mother’s Tacos, which led to the flavor Horchata con Coco, made with leftover horchata pulp and coconut cream.
Ben Koenig, owner of Mother’s Tacos, said the partnership came naturally. “Their philosophy on ice cream is very similar to ours on food — everything done from scratch, the old-fashioned way,” Koenig said.
“Our power as small businesses is in our ability to connect with the community and support one another,” he said.
Despite long days — Terrill works 13 to 15 hours daily — he said it feels meaningful in a way his old career didn’t. He and his wife proved they could build a business together, and now he wants to create something with lasting impact.
While he sometimes wrestles with doubt — he flips between “we are going to be huge” and “I am a complete failure,” he admitted — Terrill said community support keeps him going. Last month, the shop sponsored a local softball team.
“That moment — that’s why we did this,” he said. “I don’t need pints in Whole Foods. I’m not a chef with a big name. I’m just a dad and a husband who had an idea.”
For Terrill, and for the teens learning to scoop beside him, that idea is already paying off — one cone at a time.
Dining and Cooking