Plain Jane Ice Cream Preparing to Reopen in Hastings Sunrise

It snowed in Vancouver earlier this week, but the team at Plain Jane Ice Cream isn’t fooled. They know sunshine is coming, and they’re getting ready for it.

Plain Jane first appeared in 2024 as a small, slightly unconventional ice cream operation. The project came from Miki Ellis and Stephen Whiteside (Dachi, Niwa), alongside Devon Towler of Thank You Pizza. Towler had been talking about opening an ice cream spot for years. Ellis and Whiteside eventually took the bait. The result was a tiny soft serve window operating out of the back corner of the building next door to Dachi.

“Tiny” is generous. There wasn’t a door. The ordering window faced what had essentially been a gravel-covered, decommissioned parking lot. If you didn’t know it was there, it sounded almost impossible to find. In reality, it was easy to spot because there was usually a line.

After that first run, the team shut things down to rethink the setup. As a result, Plain Jane didn’t operate during the 2025 season while the trio reworked everything to better keep up with demand.

When I stopped by recently, Ellis, Whiteside, and Towler were inside putting the finishing touches on the build. A few upgrades stood out right away. First, and most obviously: there is now a door! A walk-up counter has also been added. And the small ice cream shop even has seating (nice work Workshop SVC!). Though a few final pieces are still on the way before they officially open doors (a menu lightbox for the wall behind the counter, exterior signage, and the last stretch of tile work), the operation now reads as a proper shop rather than a clever workaround.

Thankfully, the thing that hasn’t changed is the ice cream. Plain Jane still runs on two “Little Jem” machines brought over from New Zealand, turning out soft serve that aims for balance rather than sugar overload. The base comes from organic dairy, with fresh fruit and other seasonal additions. Expect a short list of four or five flavours at any given time, served in cones or cups.

Opening is expected very soon, likely later this month, as the team aims to be fully up and running before warm weather arrives and Hastings-Sunrise starts looking for ice cream again. Given how busy the shop was during its first run, that preparation will likely pay off quickly. Follow Plain Jane on Instagram for updates here.