New Dessert Concept Dishes Up First Sweet Shop

Shaved snow fans asked us to delve deeper into Iceskimo's plans to transition from a pop-up to a storefront; the dessert concept, which has a summer residency inside Pangea Bakery Cafe (4689 Convoy St.), is working on its debut brick-and-mortar location elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Founder Robert Yang is building out the first shop in a soon-to-be redeveloped Convoy Street plaza, where his 540-square-foot corner space will be one of the first to open, likely by mid-September.

Yang, who grew up in San Diego and attended UCSD, discovered the shaved snow craze while living in Taiwan, where the fluffy, fine-grained frozen treat originated. He worked at a food startup in San Francisco and for the Yogurtland company to gain experience for Iceskimo, which he hopes to grow beyond this initial shop.

Iceskimo's flavored ice that gets shaved into snow differentiates itself from other similar brands by making the ice from scratch in small batches, without pre-made mixes, powders or syrups. The menu is concise, with just a few core handmade flavors ranging from fresh strawberry to green tea; customers will be able to customize their own desserts by choosing from a toppings bar. Yang says he'll add some seasonal or special flavors, plus offer a snow-topped Belgian waffle and an assortment of fresh juices. In the winter months, he'll tack on some hot beverages and plans to be open until 11 p.m.
· Iceskimo [Official Site]
· All Coming Attractions [~ESD~]