The Penny Ice Creamery

About The Penny Ice Creamery

The Penny Ice Creamery started in Santa Cruz in 2010. The company likes to say it opened on the hottest day of the year. It was founded by chef Kendra L. Baker and business partner Zachary E. Davis. It built its name on making ice cream completely from scratch with local, seasonal and organic ingredients.

From that first shop the business has grown into a small regional group. Its website lists three shops in Santa Cruz, one each in Aptos and Scotts Valley, a Los Altos shop on State Street and this Palo Alto location at Town & Country Village on El Camino Real. The Palo Alto shop brings the Santa Cruz style to the Peninsula without the drive over Highway 17.

How the ice cream is made

The Penny explains its approach in some detail. The company holds a license to pasteurize its own dairy, which it says lets it skip the premixed ice cream base most shops buy. Instead it builds each recipe from its own base and chooses every ingredient, with no artificial flavors or preservatives. It describes its production as small batch and calls itself one of the smallest dairy manufacturing plants in California.

Flavors combine traditional methods with what the company calls modern and whimsical ideas. They change with the seasons. The cones are a signature: waffle cones are hand rolled and made fresh in house. One featured treat on the website is a scoop on a hand-rolled waffle cone topped with toasted marshmallow fluff. Because the menu rotates, check the case when you arrive rather than counting on a flavor you had last time.

Penny Hours

The company runs a standing happy hour that it calls Penny Hours. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. you can order a double for the price of a single, either two flavors or two scoops of the same one. The website says all Penny locations take part, with a note that seasonal hours at its Beach Street shop in Santa Cruz may affect that store. That makes a weekday afternoon the smart time for an after-school treat.

Ordering, catering and gift cards

Most visits are a simple walk-up at the counter. The Penny also has online ordering through Toast, linked from its website. It sells gift cards online too. For events, the "Book The Penny" option covers private parties, corporate events and weddings. The company has also appeared at farmers markets with a stand. Booking requests go through the website. The company also lists a central phone line that handles information and orders for its shops.

How to choose a flavor

With a menu that rotates, the easiest way to order is to ask for a taste of anything unfamiliar before you commit. The company says it cooks with local, seasonal ingredients, so the case changes through the year. If you are splitting a double during Penny Hours, pairing one familiar flavor with one new one is a low-risk way to explore. A waffle cone is worth trying at least once, since the shop rolls them in house rather than buying them in.

Larger orders for a party are easier to arrange ahead. Use the ordering link or the event booking form on the website so the shop can tell you what is available that week.

Who it suits

The Palo Alto shop works well as a dessert stop after dinner at Town & Country Village, a weekend treat with kids or a break while shopping. Town & Country is across El Camino Real from Stanford and next to Palo Alto High School, so expect students in the late afternoon. Ice cream made with a house base means dairy is central to most flavors. If you need a dairy-free choice, ask staff what is in the case that day, since the website does not list a fixed dairy-free menu.

Tips for visiting

The Palo Alto shop keeps the same hours every day, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., which makes it easy to plan around. Town & Country Village has its own free surface parking lot. The center is also about a 15-minute walk from the Palo Alto Caltrain station.

Our Town & Country Village guide covers the rest of the center, including restaurants that pair well with a scoop afterward. For more frozen treats around town, see our ice cream guide. If you like the flavors here, the original shops are part of a good day trip to Santa Cruz.

Location and getting there

The Penny Ice Creamery is at 855 El Camino Real, Suite 121, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Town & Country Village area of Palo Alto. Our Town & Country Village guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.5 miles away. That is roughly a 12 minute walk.

Parking: the center's own free surface lots.

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• Boba Guys, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• CVS Pharmacy El Camino Real, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Tennis Town & Country, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Wilby Optical by Alexander Daas, practice, under 0.1 mi
• LaBelle Day Spa & Salon, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Town & Country Village, under 0.1 mi
• Stanford Stadium, 0.3 mi
• Palo Alto History Museum, 0.3 mi

Other bakeries, ice cream and sweets nearby: Sweet 55 (under 0.1 mi); Manresa Bread (under 0.1 mi); Antoine's Cookie Shop (under 0.1 mi); Kara's Cupcakes (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full bakeries, ice cream and sweets list.

Before you go

• Popular items can sell out by early afternoon, especially on weekends. Go early for the best choice.
• Many bakeries take orders for cakes and large quantities. Allow a few days' notice for special orders.
• Seating is often limited, so plan to take treats to a nearby park if the shop is busy.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against The Penny Ice Creamery official website; Penny Hours and location hours; About The Penny. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions