For anyone coming down from Schweitzer with a sweet tooth, Panhandle Cone and Coffee is one of the happiest stops in downtown Sandpoint. The small shop on North First Avenue serves handmade ice cream in creative, North Idaho inspired flavors, along with espresso and coffee drinks, and it has become a regular ritual for local families and visiting skiers alike. In summer the line can stretch toward the door, and in winter a cone or a warm drink still makes an easy finish to a day spent in town.
The shop is a family story. According to the business, the Dillon family spent years making ice cream in their backyard in Southern Oregon before they relocated to Sandpoint in 2015 and turned that backyard habit into a shop. The family says its mission is to create a space where everyone is welcome to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy a sweet treat, and that relaxed welcome is easy to feel in the room, from the wooden counter and string lights to the menu boards lined up behind the scoops. The idea has traveled well, too, because the family now lists shops in Coeur d'Alene and Moscow alongside the Sandpoint original.
What keeps people coming back is the ice cream itself. The flavors rotate with the seasons, and the regulars have their favorites, including Buttermilk Huckleberry, which folds Idaho's favorite berry into a tangy, creamy base, and Sasquatch, a playful mix built on honey, fir, huckleberry, and granola that tastes like a walk in the Selkirk Mountains. The shop's own flavor board has featured names such as Milltown Distillery Vanilla and Orange and Dark Chocolate Freckles, and fresh waffle cones, vegan choices, and dairy free and gluten free options mean that almost everyone in a group can find a scoop.
The coffee half of the name earns its place as well. The counter pours espresso drinks, and an affogato, which pours a shot of espresso over ice cream, lets a visitor enjoy both halves of the menu in one cup. That combination works in every season, because the same shop that cools down a July afternoon can warm up a November day of errands, gift shopping, and holiday strolls through downtown Sandpoint. It is a dessert stop, a coffee stop, and a meeting place all in one small room.
Panhandle Cone and Coffee is at 216 North First Avenue in Sandpoint, in the heart of downtown and an easy drive down the mountain from Schweitzer. Whether you are celebrating a first ski lesson, showing out of town guests around town, or simply looking for a reason to linger a little longer on First Avenue, this family run shop is well worth the stop, one handmade scoop at a time.