Gov. Ducey signs bill at Churn ice cream shop

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2178 Monday at Churn, a locally-owned homemade ice cream shop in central Phoenix.

The bill removes a regulation requiring restaurants and ice cream shops to obtain a license before making and selling frozen desserts and frozen dairy products for consumption on-site.

“It’s been a priority of mine to make certain that government operates at the speed of business,” Ducey said. “I’ve been accused of having a bias toward a favorite dessert, and when I heard that government was getting in the way of Arizonans enjoying delicious ice cream I knew we needed to act and act quickly.”

Ducey was a partner and CEO at Cold Stone Creamery, an Arizona-based ice cream parlor chain, until he and his partners sold the company in 2007. At that time, the chain had grown from a single shop in 1988 to more than 1,400 locations in the United States and 10 other countries.

Churn is operated by the Phoenix-based restaurant group Upward Projects, which also runs Churn’s nextdoor neighbor, Windsor, as well as Postino, Federal Pizza and Joyride Taco House.

“Local scoop shops like Churn make fantastic ice cream from scratch on their premises, and it’s something I have some knowledge about,” Ducey said. “But under Arizona law they were facing regulations that were meant for larger dairy manufacturers that would have put their from-scratch business, which produces a higher quality product… in jeopardy.”

Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, and Craig DeMarco, co-founder, stood behind Ducey for the signing.

Ducey said signing HB 2178 means Arizona ice cream shops can create their desserts without “daunting and misapplied regulations getting in the way.”

Also present were bill sponsor Rep. Jeff Weninger (LD-17) and Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association.

“I want to thank everyone who came together… to bring this law forward and allow these businesses to thrive, especially Rep. Jeff Weninger, who has been a protector of these organizations, the United Dairymen of Arizona [and] the Arizona Restaurant Association,” Ducey said.

Ducey said he wants entrepreneurs and small-business owners to know that “Arizona is listening to your concerns and proving once again that we are the best state in the nation in which to found, scale and grow a business.”