Inside the new, old-fashioned ice-cream shop in Sidney is twelve delicious flavours and a passionate couple who hope to make a difference.
Pop’s Icecream Shop has its grand opening today and owners Brittany Green, who is expecting a baby girl in March, and partner Ryan Oakley are excited for its future.
And they aren’t new to the service industry.
After battling a form of cancer not many survive, Oakley decided to open Riptide Cafe on his three-year mark of beating cancer.
“I’ve always wanted that kind of hole in the wall restaurant that serves just really good, handmade, good quality food,” said Oakley.
The couple then decided to go for it and open the ice-cream shop after Oakley continued getting numerous requests for ice- cream and milkshakes.
“I got to the point where I think I probably heard it about 100 times in a month,” said Oakley.
The couple soon came to the conclusion that they just didn’t have the space to put it in and decided they would purchase the space for what used to be The Mortgage Depot.
“It was nine days and we were ready to open.” said Oakley.
They decided to hold an open house on Family Day (Feb. 13) and received a big response, selling 910 cones.
Green said the response has been amazing.
“Everyone who walks by pops their head in,” she said.
On Family Day, they also raised over $700 for the BC Cancer Foundation as they gave out ice-cream by donation.
“We’re putting out a vibe that is welcoming to all,” he said
On the last Sunday of every month, they will donate 20 per cent of all proceeds to the BC Cancer Foundation and a family in need.
“We want to be able to just make a small dent and put a smile on somebody’s face whenever we possibly can,” he said.
And the two have big plans for the shop, not just in Sidney.
They plan on opening two more locations in the future on Saturna Island and in Langford.
Pop’s currently offers 12 flavours, everything from your classic strawberry, vanilla and chocolate to some of the more interesting kinds like sea salt caramel and birthday cake.
“You can either have it in a waffle cone, a regular cone or even a waffle cup or just a regular cup,” said Oakley.
Milkshakes, sundaes, hotdogs and mini donuts will also be a part of the shop too.
Come the summer, they will have seating for outside, but want to stick with what they have inside for now for a good flow.
“When it’s busy it’s quite packed, there’s not a lot of room for a lot of seating, which is nice for an ice-cream shop if people want to take it and go walk around Sidney,” said Green.
Unlike many other places in Sidney besides the fast food joints, they will be open until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
“I remember walking around Sidney as a teenager and nothing being open but like 7-Eleven,” said Green with a laugh.
“We wanted to have a place where you could put handmade, good quality food and have it open where people can have it later, because a lot of people work till 7 p.m.,” added Oakley.
Oakley said he still struggles with his cancer experience, but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying life.
“Just because you’re in a bad situation and dealt a bad hand it doesn’t mean you can’t still follow your dreams,” he said.
They are currently looking for young, energetic and upbeat people to join their team. If anyone is interested they can drop off their resume to 2446 Beacon Avenue.