KALAMAZOO, MI –– West Michigan is a snow globe right now, but a new locally-owned shop at 3262 Stadium Drive is proving ice cream is for every season.
The ‘Zoo Scoop officially opened its doors on Black Friday.
“I think there’s risk opening a business any time of year, but especially a business like an ice cream shop in the middle of winter,” said Bradley Romstadt, founder of The ‘Zoo Scoop. “There’s definitely some risk that goes into that. But I knew with all the support that I had… I felt confident that we’d make it.”
Romstadt is a Kalamazoo native and graduated from Hackett Prep in 2018.
While at Hackett Prep, Romstadt, 26, worked at the Treat Street in Oakland Plaza.
His father, Mark Romstadt, owns Mark’s Diner in Portage, with which he also helped.
“The industry has just kind of been in my blood and I just really wanted to take a risk and do something on my own,” Romstadt said.
Initially, Romstadt saw the Treat Street go up for sale and loved the idea of saving it and making it his own.
“When they decided to go a different route, I was still really was excited about the idea that I found this place here,” Romstadt said.
Romstadt left his job as a front desk manager at Firekeepers to start The ‘Zoo Scoop.
Inside at The ‘Zoo Scoop on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. The restaurant, located at 3262 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, offers ice cream, dirty sodas, candy, paninis and wraps. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
Ice cream selections at The ‘Zoo Scoop on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. The restaurant, located at 3262 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, offers ice cream, dirty sodas, candy, paninis and wraps. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
The ‘Zoo Scoop offers 32 different flavors of Hershey’s Ice Cream, with plans to expand to 36 or 40.
“There’s really not anywhere else around our area that carries them,” Romstadt said. “So we wanted to stand out and be a little bit different.”
The most popular flavors have been the Cappuccino Crunch, Midnight Caramel and Peppermint Stick.
A scoop of ice cream is $3.49, for a double it is $4.29 and a triple is $5.
Ice cream isn’t all that is offered at The ‘Zoo Scoop.
The menu also features a mouth-watering selection of paninis and wraps, named uniquely for pieces of Kalamazoo tradition and culture.
The Lawson melt, which features cheese, chicken and BBQ, has been a highlight of the menu thus far.
The “Lawson Melt” at The ‘Zoo Scoop on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. The restaurant, located at 3262 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, offers ice cream, dirty sodas, candy, paninis and wraps. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
The Mac attack features bacon and mac and cheese.
A panini or wrap meal is served with a pickle, chips and water or pop for $11.99.
“We were trying to figure out what kind of food we would pair with the ice cream and this location doesn’t have a full kitchen setup,” Romstadt said. “There’s no hood or anything like that.”
An array of movie theater-style candy and dirty soda specials round out the menu.
The “Kalamazoo Cooler” dirty soda at The ‘Zoo Scoop on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. The restaurant, located at 3262 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, offers ice cream, dirty sodas, candy, paninis and wraps. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
A mural on the wall of The ‘Zoo Scoop reads “Tradition in every scoop.”
“I believe in just giving a great service. If you make people feel like they’re coming into your home and that they’re family… They’re going to continue to come back and create traditions here with family and friends,” Romstadt said. “That’s what I would like to create.
“When they leave, I want them to walk out feeling like they want to come back, that they’re welcomed here, that they feel included here, and that obviously the food is good and ice cream is great, but most importantly, that they’re going to be taken care of, going to be one of our own.”
Dining and Cooking