The story you have been patiently and eagerly waiting for, one filled with joy and reminders of the sweetness life can bring.

Hi, my name is Katrina, and my husband, David, and I are the owners of Winfield Creamery! I wanted to take a moment to not only introduce ourselves, but to also introduce how Winfield Creamery came to be.

First, a little bit about us, we have two beautiful children and both work helping shape the minds of those around us. With great pride and joy, I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and my husband is a teacher and coaches two sports! David is a football coach at West Chicago High School in the fall and a wrestling coach at Larkin High School in the winter! When his sports are in season, you can find me in the stands cheering him and the team on! We love spending time with our family, friends, and pets, and we love spending time out in our community!

So, you may be scratching your head thinking, so why ice cream? Well, it’s simple, I LOVE ice cream! And, truthfully, whole heartedly, I think you do too! Well, hopefully!

The amazing story behind the creation of Winfield Creamery is truly a testamate of the goodness and faithfulness of God. One glorious summer day, I was on a walk with my sweet little boy who was just a wee old. It was hot and I questioned where I could get some ice cream along my walk and was hit with the reality that there was no place that was walkable to reach a delicious cold creamy ice cream. And honestly in that moment, I felt an entire vision of what could be ignited in my eyes. I never ever ever ever thought about owning an ice cream store, eating ice cream, yes, most definitely, sign me up! But owning? That honestly felt like a super huge quest and honestly it has been! But, this vision I experienced was far more than a fleeting “that would be cool but let’s be real” kind of thought, it felt like it came with a location and a game plan.

 So, I shared with my husband, David, about this idea and we set afoot to “just for fun” browse and see if the spot I had envisioned was even available to turn this into a reality. We showed up and sure enough there was a business logo on the door, a cabinet store. Arg, welp we tired, let’s go I thought. My husband had a different idea, he said hold on and pressed his face closer to the window. The inside was completely vacant. I could feel a bit of excitement grow inside me. I called the contact number on the side of the building but atlas that number was not working. The excitement faded and the opportunity felt out of reach, but my husband insisted that there was surely a way to reach the owner of the building. He popped into the business next door to the cabinet store and asked for the contact of the building owner. I called immediately and received word that the space was indeed available for lease. Yay! So excited! However, I was told that there were two individuals ahead of me and that the building owner gives right of first refusal. I started having doubts that I would even make the cut for the space because the two individuals ahead of me sounded like seasoned pros in their respected industries, and I was just a girl with a vision.

After what felt like months of waiting to hear back, the other two refused the space and the opportunity was passed unto me! I was so excited to have this opportunity and wanting nothing more than to seal the deal by signing the contract. Now, this is definitely a hindsight is 20/20 moment but we can circle back to that later. I was thrilled to embark on my new dream founded on prayers and adrenaline! I had a couple contractors take a look at the space, 3 to be exact. Face to Palm..or is it Palm to Face?! Another circle back moment, but whatever right because the price sounded right and everything felt like it was moving so fast but in the best way possible. Like you got surprised with the Fast Past at Disney Fast! I signed with a contractor and then began my journey of finding funding. Now, when I mention about circling back, this is where I cringe at the process I’ve taken so far! But atlas God has got me and He wouldn’t have given me this vision without a way to see it through. So, for the next 9-10 months, I went on a wild ride of faith and honestly wanted to give up most days. The wind felt as though it was ripped from my sails and the scary reality of just how huge of a task I have signed up for started to sink in. While those months were stressful, I truly felt the connection to God, my faith, and the goodness of humanity. I met so many wonderful people who helped get me to where I am today; amazing mentors, leaders, community focused and driven members and received the most encouragement and support from my husband who never once doubted me along this journey.

I received the opportunity to move forward with my dream after facing 3 different bank rejections for my business loan. I learned a hard lesson on perseverance and the nitty gritty of becoming an independent business owner.

While this journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. I honestly feel so blessed to be able to turn a vision into reality and am so excited to serve the community with amazing, delicious ice cream!

I hope you’ll help spread the word and stop in for a tasty treat! We can’t wait to make your day sweeter, one scoop at a time!