Angela Córdoba once turned an unexpected tip from a customer into a promotion that transformed her struggling ice cream parlor.
Today, on the eve of National Ice Cream Day, Freshest Ice Creams enjoys robust business and a No. 1 ranking on Yelp for best ice cream in San Antonio.
But two weeks after opening on Callaghan Road, the parlor was virtually empty.
“It was tough,” said Córdoba, 38, who moved with her husband from Colombia to San Antonio eight years ago. “Very tough.”
In the fall of 2017, Córdoba greeted a female customer with a smile and a sunny pitch.
“Hello, we are a Colombian-Brazilian ice cream shop and we make our ice cream here at home,” she began with a pronounced Andean accent.
Córdoba explained that some flavors were made with natural fruit and alkaline water, others with lactose-free milk.
“Oh, so these ice creams made with fruit and water are vegan,” the customer said.
“What is vegan,” Córdoba asked.
The ensuing exchange launched a marketing campaign: “¡Welcome! Vegan and Lactose Free Ice Cream”
Word spread. Business boomed. Freshest drew thousands of followers on social media. Córdoba appeared on a morning TV show to promote her most popular flavors.
Freshest is not the only place in town to offer vegan and lactose-free ice cream. But it’s the only one with a South American-based menu. Vegan flavors include acaí, brazilian, colombian, coconut, lucuma and mango.
“The customer gave us a great idea to promote our ice cream not only as natural but as vegan,” Córdoba said. “We have loyal customers and keep welcoming new ones, even customers from other states. We didn’t just survive the pandemic. We stayed strong and kept our footing the entire time.”
Freshest is infused with the flavors and spirit of Colombia. Córdoba grew up in Popayán, then moved to Bogotá to study theater. She performed on stage in Popayán, Bogotá and Sao Paulo, Brazil while her mother, Rosario Córdoba, ran a store, “Helados de Paila,” which translates to “ice cream from a pot.”
The daughter developed an interest in her mother’s work and learned to make a water-based ice cream from Rosario. Soon after, Angela and her husband, Mark Ciconne, moved to South Texas to start a new life, he as a business administrator, she as an ice cream shop operator and part-time actress, performing at Overtime Theater.
Why San Antonio? Husband and wife wanted a warm climate, affordable housing and reasonably low cost of living.
Shawn Moon Kenyon, a part-time actress, met Córdoba while they were performing at Overtime Theater and became a regular at Freshest.
“I love the way everything is so fresh, so brightly colored,” Shawn said. “I like the flavors. I’m not vegan but I eat vegan whenever I can. Freshest is the only ice cream shop I go to.”
Coincidentally, July 20 marks National Ice Cream Day and Colombian Independence Day. To celebrate, Córdoba will throw a party of sorts at Freshest. Expect Colombian flags, Colombian treats and candies and ice cream specials.
“We will have a spinning wheel with discounts and prizes,” she said. “Also, if the customer shows us the last funny video we posted on Instagram, they’ll get a free baby scoop of ice cream.”
Fresh ideas abound at Freshest. The first is the wildest. Córdoba created a lactose-free ice cream parlor because she is lactose intolerant.
At age 16, she recognized that cheese, yogurt, lattes, ice cream and cake upset her stomach.
“The only way I can enjoy dairy products,” she said, “is with lactose-free milk.”
And the only way she could get customers was to market Freshest as “vegan and lactose-free.”
Freshest marks National Ice Cream Day with a menu of cool South American flavors that stands out in the South Texas heat.
