Oakland Thrive Restaurant Quest: Ray’s Ice Cream in Royal Oak
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 25, 2025)
Royal Oak, MI – Since 1958 Ray’s Ice Cream has been a staple of the Royal Oak community. Located at 4322 Coolidge Highway, in a building that says “Sprinkle Kindness,” Ray’s has over 50 flavors of specially crafted ice cream in a classic soda shop setting.
They also sell ice cream to local groceries, including Meijer, Colasanti’s Market, Plum Markets, Randazzos, and Hollywood Markets. Benito’s Pizza also carries their ice cream.
Some friends and I stopped in for some sweetness while on my quest to try every restaurant in Oakland County (sponsored by Oakland Thrive). My friend Gina ordered up a mix of praline pecan and coffee and heath flavors, while Tommy has the black raspberry cheesecake variety. I had a scoop of cotton candy in a waffle cone, which featured cotton candy-flavored ice cream dotted with rainbow chocolate sprinkles.
I also just had to test out their grocery store selection, picking up a pint of Cookie Monster for a delicious taste. This is Blue Moon ice cream with cookies added too it.
Flavor choices seem nearly endless. Among therm are coconut, Dutch Girl Donut, chocolate chip, lemon custard, and Mackinac Island Fudge. There are dairy-free options which may change, but the day I went they had black cherry and butter pecan. And there are even sorbets, with fruity flavors like mango, lemon, and strawberry.
They also make sundaes and floats, including the famous Boston Cooler made with Vernor’s soda and Ray’s Vanilla.
On hot summer days, Ray’s can get quite busy – but they’ve got seating both inside and out, plus carryout is easy. And, they’re open year round so you can have ice cream in any season!
Learn more at https://www.raysicecream.com
With support from Oakland Thrive, Oakland County Times Editor and Publisher Crystal Proxmire is on a quest to try every restaurant in Oakland County. Oakland Thrive is a transformative force dedicated to nurturing local businesses. Since 2023, Oakland Thrive has helped foster success by connecting Oakland County businesses of all kinds with resources and expert advice, including specialized help for businesses in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Oakland Thrive is focused on bridging economic disparities, fostering inclusive growth, and ensuring equitable opportunities. Learn more about Oakland Thrive events, classes, and opportunities for small businesses at https://oaklandthrive.org/
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