About Us
Licks Unlimited is a quaint ice cream shop that was established in 1984 & is located in downtown Excelsior, a short walk away from Lake Minnetonka's Excelsior Bay.
Our History
Janet (Pug) Lessard dreamed of buying her own ice cream store after filling in at a local DQ when the high school kids returned to classes in the Fall. She, along with her husband, Loran (Zo) Lessard made her dream come true in 1990 when the former owners of Licks Unlimited sought them out to purchase it.
Pug's vision for the ice cream store is what you've come to know & love. From the nostalgic tribute to ice cream you see while ordering to the decadent & homemade waffle cones that continue to be a speciality.
Pug & Zo enjoyed working summer days together until October 2005 when Pug unexpectedly passed away. Zo not only continued her legacy, but also developed the same passion as she had for Licks Unlimited. He especially enjoyed working with & teaching his many young employees essential life skills, getting to know the loyal customers & serving smiles with his sweet treats. In April 2018, Loran also passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind a heartbroken family, saddened community and a legacy like no other.
Our Present
We are proud to share that the store remains within the family & the legacy created continues on with Lori (daughter), Chelsea, Wyatt, & Sydney (grandchildren). Growing up with summer visits to the store to see Grandpa & Grandma while enjoying ice cream led to first jobs for each such that collectively Chelsea, Wyatt & Sydney now have 20+ years of experience. While Pug & Zo can never be replaced, their legacy is in very capable hands!
Licks Unlimited has always had a special place in our hearts. Our passion for the ice cream store, our Licks Fam and our community runs deep throughout the family. We are thrilled & committed to keeping the legacy alive for generations to come.
Thank you for being a part of our story. We wouldn't be able to continue on without the support of this incredible community!
Our Licks Fam
In addition to our sweet treats, it’s our fam that makes visiting Licks Unlimited so special!
They come to work to bring joy to others, have fun, and bring their unique qualities to the Licks Fam. We care about each & every person we work with. It’s not just about showing up, it’s about seeing each other enjoy what they do, being there for each other when needed, & developing skills that will benefit them well into the future.
We are proud that siblings, friends, & spouses seek to join the fam. We are grateful when fam members are eager & excited to come back, year-after-year, even throughout their college journey.
Community
It’s because of our community that we get to do what we love & we want to make sure we love it back.
We are passionate about making sure everyone feels welcome, helping those around us & being kind to the environment where we can make a difference. From supporting local events, to partnering with local businesses for a cause, to making and influencing changes to reduce our carbon footprint.
You give us so much, it’s only right to pay it forward! Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can help.
Sustainability
As we've become more educated on how our products affect the environment, sustainability has become a key priority for us. We believe it's important to do what we can to directly make a positive impact while influencing those in our supply chain & community to become more environmentally conscious.
In 2019, we made our first change. Our most used items, the styrofoam cups for singles, doubles, & sundaes along with our plastic spoons were replaced by compostable cups & biodegradable spoons which decreased our carbon footprint drastically.
In 2020, we provided our team with the reusable supplies they needed to be safe with Covid-19.
In 2021, we are now able to properly dispose of compostable products. We are also buying the ice cream cups directly from the manufacturer so they are completely carbon neutral.
In 2022, we are working through current inventory of remaining products that aren't yet compostable then they will be replenished with compostable alternatives. Look forward to seeing new malt cups, taster spoons, and straws! We also begun marking eco-friendly options on our website and menus. The Licks & Lakes event makes its debut, focusing on ways to help preserve Lake Minnetonka and share more about our sustainability initiatives.