Since its opening in 2003, Doc Burnstein’s ice cream was a favorite to many, but after 20 years and a battle with bankruptcy, Doc’s closed its doors and Rori’s Artisanal Creamery took its place.  A three-part series on Doc’s history can be found on the Eagle Times. 

Former Doc’s employee, Calla Lily Dodds, worked her first job at Doc’s during COVID.

“I think the flavors were better, I think the production was better because we would have a creamery that would make [the ice cream] and [Rori’s] is more expensive and that price is not worth it,” Dodds said.

Julisa Provence (‘26) has been working at Rori’s since its opening in May.

“It’s pretty fun, we get to help a lot of customers and kids, [have] decorations for different seasons, and it’s pretty fun to see families bringing their relatives into town [for ice cream],” Provence said.

Provence visited Doc’s while it was still open and described the difference between the two stores’ ice cream flavors.

“The ice cream flavors are super different, people come in and they’re like ‘wow there’s a lot of flavors’ [which are] made in a lot smaller batches, so it’s fresh, and maybe more fresh than Doc Burnsteins,” Provence said.

This freshness, however, comes with a cost.

“Rori’s is a lot more expensive, sometimes people will walk out when they see the prices because they’re expensive, I think the ice cream is definitely a lot higher quality and better so that’s why it’s so expensive,” Provence said.

Similarly, Capri Carrington (‘25) has worked at both Doc’s and Rori’s.

“We know who the head of the business is,” Carrington said. “Her name is Rori. She’s a single mom…she comes in every once in a while and so it’s definitely very personal.”

While it may be personal to the employees, not all people who visit feel the same way. In a recent poll on the Eagle Times Instagram—asking which ice cream viewers preferred—it was found that 73% of students still preferred Doc’s ice cream. Only 27% of students preferred the new Rori’s Ice Cream.

The reason for this may lie in what Doc’s was like for students compared to what Rori’s is now.

“[Doc’s] had that reputation of being a local business and very community-driven,” Carrington said. 

Dodds felt similarly, explaining she doesn’t feel the same about Rori’s as she did with Doc’s.

“I feel like it’s not as personal, like the decorations kind of stray away from what it used to be like,” Dodds said. “I feel like the colors are a little bland and I know it’s not the same business but it was really a shock that they just closed.”

Now that Rori’s has taken the place that Doc’s left, it will take some time for it to gain the same reputation that Doc’s had. Rori’s has only been open for a few months, but may eventually have the same feel that Doc’s had for so many years in the community.