From craveable fresh-baked bagels, baked goods and pastries to heavenly homemade ice cream and frozen custard – sweet, savory and everything in between – Hatteras Island has it all thanks to a particular pair of longtime establishments coloring Avon in pink and purple buildings.
Owned by local mother-son duo Julia Taft and Blake Taft, Cups and Cones and Muffins and Scones are the ice cream shop and bakery cafe beloved by visitors and locals. These family-friendly establishments are the perfect places to drop in for early morning pick-me-ups and late-night treats.
Cups and Cones
The Tafts have owned Cups and Cones since 2008, welcoming their 19th season with a major remodel including an expanded ice cream topping bar and expanded indoor seating.
“After about 20 years, we thought that it was time for the restaurant to get a little bit of a facelift,” Julia says. “Instead of having to order out the window, you can order inside this year.”
The remodel is loyal to tradition with bright, airy and fun decor with Disney artwork on the walls and colorful furniture.
“It’s the same Cups and Cones that you grew up with,” Julia says, adding that it now has an expanded indoor space for waiting or enjoying ice cream on hot summer days. There’s also a new efficient system for ordering and pickups as well as an extensive topping bar.
“Last year, we added our frozen custard, and now we’ve upgraded the toppings bar to include more fresh ingredients to add on to your ice cream creations,” Julia says. “And we always have our homemade waffle cones that are basically made to order.”
Alongside the new items, Cups and Cones continues to offer brownies, cookies, shakes, malts, root beer floats and Italian water ice.
More than just a dessert shop, Cups and Cones also serves extensive coffee options like affogatos and espresso drinks.
With the espresso machine newly moved up front, “you can get affogatos or coffee as late as 11 o’clock at night in the summertime,” Julia says. This is the latest boost of caffeine you’re going to get on the island.
(252) 995-0202 | 40146 Highway 12, Avon | facebook @CupsandCones
Muffins and Scones
Muffins and Scones, the cafe and bakery just a short walk north of Cups and Cones, opened in 2017 and is celebrating its ninth season this summer.
Known for their made-from-scratch baked goods, all-day breakfast, lunch sandwiches and gourmet desserts, there’s no better place to energize your morning or afternoon. This year, they are introducing cold-pressed juices to their menu.
“There will be at least three different cold pressed juices available,” Julia says, “including a beet juice that doesn’t taste like beets.”
They will also have a carrot juice and fresh fruit juice from the cold press with other flavors on rotation.
If it’s coffee you crave, you’ll love Muffins and Scones’ signature blend created by local Blue Room Roasters in Buxton. “They created a blend specifically for us, and we’re using it for all three of our businesses,” Julia explains, referring to Cups and Cones as well as their full-service restaurant in Avon, The Froggy Dog Restaurant, where they make an esteemed espresso martini.
Muffins and Scones will continue to offer its namesake items along with pastries, cakes, coffee drinks, sandwiches, paninis, pies, gourmet dessert options and 17 varieties of authentic NY-style bagels.
“What’s really cool about our bagels is that we allow the dough to rise for 12 to 18 hours, depending on the humidity in the building, then boil them before we bake them so they are true New York-style bagels,” Julia explains. “It’s a tedious process, but it makes them really good.”
Taking pride in baking everything in-house with fresh ingredients, Muffins and Scones also offers custom cakes for all occasions from birthdays to weddings.
“We’re probably the only locally owned bakery where you can walk in and pick up a cake the same day,” Julia says. “We always have a minimum of three cakes available for last-minute customization as well as our core cakes by the slice.”
With notice, Julia says they can create just about anything for a special event. Along with custom baking, Muffins and Scones also creates party platters to go for large groups. A party platter can be an assortment of pas tries, custom desserts or sliced bagels with cream cheese on a portable tray.
Muffins and Scones’ breakfast catering is a popular option, especially for large family gatherings.
“We do a lot of breakfast catering for bridal suites before weddings too,” Julia says.
The diversity of their offerings is rooted in a love for serving their local community throughout the day with ever-expanding options and trending tastes.
“People love breakfast food all day long,” Julia says. The cafe continually serves breakfast sandwiches alongside their paninis, pizza bagels and a variety of grab-and-go lunch items.
No matter the time of day or type of craving, be sure to explore these family-owned staples in the heart of Avon the next time you visit Hatteras Island.
(252) 995-0202
40146 Highway 12, Avon
Facebook @CupsandCones
(252) 986-5109
40126 Highway 12, Avon
muffinsandScones.com
About the Author Gabrielle Giannone
Gabrielle Giannone is a contributing writer for OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved from Virginia to the Outer Banks in early 2023. Outside of writing and exploring the area, she is a server at three local restaurants and a fine art painter.
