There’s a certain kind of ice cream shop that exists mostly in memory.
The kind where kids’ bikes are lying in the grass because they were in too much of a hurry to bother with a kick stand.
Where the teenager behind the counter is working their first summer job.
Where parents linger outside long after the ice cream is gone because the conversation isn’t finished yet.
The kind of place that becomes an integral party of summer without anybody planning for it.
Most of us assume those places live on in movies. Then you walk into Lickity Splitz.
Tucked inside a cool old house in Old Town Lafayette, the new ice cream shop feels less like a business opening and more like a neighborhood character that somehow wandered onto the scene exactly at the right time.
Built on Family Road Trips and Ice Cream Stops
The mascot is a whole vibe. The menu is playful. There are banana costumes involved. And it all makes perfect sense. Underneath the ice cream nachos, the Churro Splits and the Strawberry Cheesecake Splits is something thoroughly authentic and relatable: a family creating the kind of place they loved visiting with their own kids when they were younger.
For owners Christina and her husband Levi, that vision started years ago with family road trips and weekends spent exploring Colorado’s small mountain towns. The places where the ice cream shop wasn’t just somewhere to grab dessert—it was where the evening naturally unfolded. When the opportunity arose to bring a business to Lafayette, they knew they wanted to create that same feeling. A kind of place where people are happy exists.
That family-first spirit can be found everywhere you look.
Their 16-year-old daughter helped inspire many of the menu ideas. Their kids split up responsibilities for the shop’s social media channels. Local teenagers are working behind the counter, serving up scoops, splits and smiles throughout the summer. And the community has responded in kind.
Since opening, Christina says one of the biggest surprises has been how many people simply stop by to introduce themselves. Neighbors linger to chat. Customers share stories. Families return with friends. In a world where so much can feel rushed, people seem genuinely excited to have a place where they can slow down for a little while.
“People don’t just come in for ice cream,” Christina says. “They stay. They talk. They meet people. That’s been really special to see.”
Not Your Average Banana Split
Whether you’re stopping in for a classic cone, diving into one of their signature splits or finally finding out what Ice Cream Nachos are all about, there’s a good chance you’ll leave with a new favorite. The Strawberry Cheesecake Split and Churro Split have quickly become customer favorites, but half the fun is discovering your own go-to order.
And they’re not done evolving the menu. Christina says the family is already exploring additional options for guests with dietary preferences and restrictions, including dairy-free and vegan offerings, so even more people can join in on the fun.
Of course, no visit is complete without taking in a little bit of the atmosphere. On any given afternoon, you might find families gathered at outdoor tables, kids debating flavors, music playing in the background and the occasional banana mascot waving at traffic. Or even locals taking a turn IN the banana costume. Anything goes.
“At some point we realized if you’re going to own an ice cream shop called Lickity Splitz, you have to be willing to wear a banana costume every now and then,” Christina laughs.
It’s exactly the kind of scene that feels increasingly rare. And maybe that’s why Lickity Splitz feels so familiar. Not because it’s trying to recreate the past. Because it’s preserving something that never really needed improving in the first place. A neighborhood ice cream shop and a perfect summer evening.
This summer, grab a split, pull up a chair and stay awhile.
The conversation might end up being just as sweet as the ice cream.
Where to Find Them
📍 705 S. Public Rd., Lafayette, Colorado
📸 Instagram: @lickitysplitz_lafayette