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Full Tilt bringing punk rock ice cream pop shop with a spin to Capitol Hill

Punk rock ice cream arcade purveyor Full Tilt is coming to Capitol Hill. A new shop dedicated to Full Tilt’s nearly legendary, long in the offing ice cream bars is planned to open mid-August in the 15th Ave E space where Capitol Hill Family Arcade has been entertaining Capitol Hill families ever since… a week or so ago.

“I have prepped my best games for this location,” Bobby Conover from 20XX Amusements is quoted as saying in the announcement sent to CHS. Full Tilt says the new space will have a larger arcade section than any of the other Full Tilt shops. The new store will feature about 20 arcade and pinball machines, according to the announcement.

“I wanted to use this location to focus more on our ice cream bars and games,” Full Tilt’s Justin Cline said. “To make it a fun spot for families on the Hill.”

While it will be packed with games, the 15th Ave E Full Tilt won’t offer ice cream by the scoop but plans to eventually offer beer by the bottle and can. It won’t, however, offer marijuana — though area entrepreneur and real estate investor Ian Eisenberg told CHS previously he eventually plans to open a I-502 pot shop in the space formerly home to the Capitol Hill Animal Clinic at 15th and Republican.

Cline said Full Tilt doesn’t really “have a dog in the fight” as Eisenberg, owner of 23rd and Union’s Uncle Ike’s, and Samuel Burke and his Tok store lined up for the former cobbler shop across the street tussle it out to become the first I-502 retailer to open on Capitol Hill. Eisenberg also announced he plans to make a space for longtime 15th Ave cobbler Ray Angel in the arcade building.

Uncle Ike’s, by the way, is a CHS advertiser.

“We’re pretty pot friendly because we’re an ice cream shop,” Cline said. “I’ve never been to Uncle Ike’s. I don’t know a whole lot about the situation.”

Instead, the focus at Full Tilt is on rolling out its new ice cream bars and popsicles after investments that have allowed the company to ramp up production of the frozen treats. The pops have been available on a limited basis at Central Co-Op, West Seattle Thriftway, and Stockbox grocers. In August, Full Tilt’s new creations will be available all over the West Coast at Haggens markets. The company says its ice cream bars are made from local milk in Linden and the fruit-based bars are made with local fruits and organic cane sugar.

Cline said Full Tilt with shops now in Columbia City, Ballard, the U-District, and the original White Center location had long been considering how to approach Capitol Hill and felt that the focus on the new ice cream bar and popsicle lines gave the opportunity the unique spin it needed to work in the food and drink (and ice cream) heavy neighborhood. 15th Ave E also has its appeal.

“I’m more comfortable in that area than dealing with the bros in Pike/Pine,” Cline said. “We’re more about kids, family. A punk Chuck E. Cheese.”

Full Tilt Capitol Hill plans to open August 15th at 501 15th Ave E. You can learn more at fulltilticecream.com.

UPDATE: There was a day when the only ice cream shop on Capitol Hill was Ben and Jerry’s. That has changed: Molly Moon’s (x2), Menchie’s, Refresh (coming soon), Old School, Bluebird, Cupcake Royale, CrazyCherry, Trove, Gnochi Bar, and even Chuck’s offer ice cream or frozen yogurt. Meanwhile, vegan sweet treats from Sugar Plum including soft serve will also be available on 15th Ave E any day now. UPDATE: Oops! Left Kurt Farm Shop off the list!

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Rob
Rob
8 years ago

My kids ask for full tilt all the time. The distance to their U-District shop has been a good excuse to limit their ice cream intake. I fear my kids will find out about this place and our waist-lines will grow pretty dramatically.

genevieve
genevieve
8 years ago

Finally some good news for 15th! I don’t even care that Full Tilt is potentially a pawn in the game of the pot maven. I mean, I’ll care if (when) Eisenberg gets around to putting in a pot shop and gives the arcade the boot, but for now, this is made of win for the area.

suePrice
suePrice
8 years ago

This can no way be a pot block for Tok as the original full tilt in White Center has a 502 store open across the street, Bud Nation at 9640 A 16th Ave SW. Full Tilt is registered with the federal gov as a restaurant not a family arcade and this federal business registration is what the LCB goes off of.

genevieve
genevieve
8 years ago
Reply to  suePrice

The article mentions that this will be more arcade, less ice cream. I would guess, based on how this pot shop power play has been going, that this location will be licensed differently than the usual ice cream shops.

Susanna
Susanna
8 years ago

FULL TILT!!!!!

Kristin
Kristin
8 years ago
Reply to  Susanna

Yessss!!! Our family is so excited. My kids were eying the new family arcade the other day, and I was experiencing a little Columbia City neighborhood envy, thinking of Full Tilt, and wishing we had one. North Capitol Hill is full of families, not just the 21+ crowd so many CH businesses cater to.

Mark
Mark
8 years ago

Don’t forget about Kurt’s Farm Stand. We have no shortage of frozen desserts.

Jedd
Jedd
8 years ago
Reply to  jseattle

Also, Seattle Cookie Counter on Fridays, in front of Station 7!

icecreamguy
icecreamguy
8 years ago
Reply to  jseattle

cure has amazing homemade ice cream as well. i just had the most incredible scoop of sweet basil with honeyed pine nuts the other night. you gotta be 21 though.

Michael W.
Michael W.
8 years ago
Reply to  icecreamguy

Cure’s ice cream is amazing. And if you haven’t had their apple strudel you are missing out…

Merlin Something
Merlin Something
8 years ago

Seeing as how the Full Tilt in Ballard has been the only place in Seattle offering shoot-’em-up titles newer than 1943, I can’t wait to see what selection this place will have.

AmyJ
AmyJ
8 years ago

Uhhh…really? Punk rock? A former Microsoft programmer opens ice cream chain…sells at national corporate grocery stores…that’s punk rock? Full Tilt is cool, but definitely not punk rock. Capitol Hill Blog, sometimes you are downright goofy.
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/print-edition/2014/06/27/sound-strategies-who-says-you-can-t-mix-ice-cream.html

escapeartist
escapeartist
8 years ago
Reply to  AmyJ

HaHa!! You obviously don’t know anything about Justin. Don’t try so hard to be the punk rock police & whine because he’s worked really hard and is successful because of it.

He’s always been entrepreneurial, creative, and fearless and is the furthest thing from a privileged east side programmer.