What happens when you squish vanilla ice cream between two snickerdoodle cookies and finish it off with a gob of chocolate sauce topped with sprinkles?

You get a CREAM sandwich.

CREAM, short for “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me,” first opened in 2010 in Millbrae and has gained a strong following in the Bay Area. The build-your-own gourmet ice cream sandwich will be opening its first store in the Central Valley in early June.

The ice cream-and-more business has been franchising since 2012 and has 10 locations in California and plans to open 20 more stores across the state and in Nevada.

Fresno’s store on the corner of Cedar and Barstow avenues, is the first among several Valley stores CREAM franchisee David Barhum said he plans to open

“The reason why Fresno was chosen to be first in the Valley is because it’s right in the middle and by Fresno State, so it’ll get people to know more about CREAM,” said Barhum, who also plans on opening stores from Bakersfield to Stockton.

The ice cream shop will replace the vacant spot at 1760 E. Barstow Ave. in the Bulldog Plaza Shopping Center.

CREAM’s menu boasts around 20 ice cream and cookie flavors and more than 24 toppings for customers to mix and match with. And for those with a health-conscious diet, the store also has gluten-free and vegan options and fruit bars.

“It began with just ice cream sandwiches, but now they just keep adding to it,” Barhum said. “The two biggest draws are the sandwiches themselves where you can mix and match the type of ice cream and cookies and then the shakes is second. The shakes use homemade ice cream created by the founders of CREAM.”

While the sandwiches and its hundreds of possible combinations are fan favorites, CREAM also has malts, floats, brownies and a taco shell-shaped waffle cone treat, dubbed “The Cream Taco.”

For Barhum, opening a CREAM was a no-brainer.

“You get into business to make money, but when you get the chance to make money and have fun doing it, you take it,” Barhum said. “CREAM does that and I love the experience people have there.

“When you look at the people there, they’re all having fun and the employees are having fun serving the customers. You don’t get that often and with CREAM you get that.”