Baltimore plant-based ice cream shop fends off closure with community support

BALTIMORE - Cajou Creamery, a Baltimore ice cream shop known for its plant-based desserts, was saved from closure thanks to a strong support system of customers and neighborhood businesses.

The ice cream shop went from the brink of shutting down to having lines down the street in its Mount Vernon community.

At the end of September, Cajou lost a lot of inventory after underground fires on Charles Street wiped out power in the area. With upwards of $3,000 in repairs, a higher-than-normal electric bill, and a slower-than-usual summer due to rain, mounting costs put them at risk of closing.

"When they kept re-energizing the system, it surged on my freezer and blew up my compressors," said Cajou co-owner Dwight Campbell. "It was heartbreaking to the entire family."

"Baltimore has embraced us"

Cajou Creamery posted on social media that this could be its final weekend.

In a matter of hours, a line of customers and people from neighboring businesses flocked to support the small business on Howard Street.

"We just wanted to gear up and make sure he had hands on deck with the influx of customers coming in," said Kelli Redmond Bagby, founder of Mova Nature.

Campbell said fellow Baltimore small business owners, influencers and the Black Butterfly Network contributed by spreading the word, and by helping to keep Cajou Creamery in business.

"Baltimore has embraced us, and this past week has shown how much we made the right decision in moving our family and our business here," Campbell said.

Inspiration of Cajou Creamery

Campbell and Nicole Foster started Cajou Creamery as a way to help their son who was born prematurely and is allergic to dairy and soy.

"As parents, we wanted to give him something nutritious that would help him, help him thrive rather than hurt him," Campbell said.

Over the years, their creamery and café became a staple in the Mount Vernon community.