A new ice cream place has opened in Macon, but this business is not your traditional ice cream parlor serving the treat by the scoop. Located right next to Starbucks on Tom Hill Sr Blvd, Ice Queen serves ice cream that comes in rolls.
There is a sign in Ice Queen that concisely sums up the six steps to their rolled ice cream making process. The sign reads:
- Base Topping
- Cream Flavor
- Mix
- Spread to Freeze
- Roll
- Toppings.
Customers can order from a menu of pre-designed flavor combinations such as the Ice Queen itself, consisting of thai milk and pineapple, or they can create their own. Either way, the base toppings are put in a bowl, in which a creamy liquid is poured.
These ingredients are mixed up and then poured over an anti-griddle, which thickens the mixture as it is spread out.
Finally, once the mixture has reached an ice creamy texture, it is rolled up with metal spatulas, placed back in a bowl, and covered with toppings which vary from pretzels to toasted marshmallows.
“I lived in Atlanta and was looking for a business to invest in. This ice cream place gave me an opportunity to live in America but still stay in touch with my roots, since the ice cream concept is from Thailand,” said Peggy Dong, manager of Ice Queen.
The reason that this location was opened in Macon was because there was nothing quite like it already.
“I saw an opportunity and took it!” Dong said.
Since opening day, Ice Queen has been kept very busy, and it has grown in popularity as more people have heard about it. Dong describes the initial success as “overwhelming.”
Dong said that the unique nature of the product is what she feels brings people in. The success of the cool treats isn’t only due to their appearance, however.
“Our customers are definitely attracted by the way it looks, but they keep coming back because it tastes even better than it looks,” Dong said.
Ice Queen has another unique product besides their ice cream. They serve frozen cheese balls, which are exactly what they sound like. These marble-sized bits a cheese are frozen with liquid nitrogen, so when somebody eats one, smoke comes out of their mouth and nose.
