‘The success we had in the summer will go on forever,’ says owner
By Klara Woldenga, Entertainment Editor
The winter season is a stressful time for most Vancouver ice cream shop owners. Most frozen treat stores close for the season or threaten citizens in order to sell product, all except for one: Local gluten-free ice cream sandwich owner Franklin Riddlen. Riddlen says he’s not concerned about the upcoming cold season and believes he has good reason to feel that way.
“People eat ice cream all the time,” Riddlen told the Other Press. “People also eat sandwiches all the time. I see no reason why people would stop eating both of these things just because it gets a little cold outside.”
Riddlen opened his shop “Ice (cream) Ice (cream) Baby” last April after chasing a group of racoons out of an abandoned men’s bathroom and setting up shop inside. Although the shop is relatively new, Riddlen has carried his passion for both ice cream and sandwiches all of his life.
“They’re the only two things I eat and have ever eaten,” Riddlen said. “If you think about it, which I’m sure you do, both sandwiches and ice cream cover all the basic food groups. The fact that I am three feet shorter than the average male is a mere coincidence.”
His first summer run allowed him to support himself and his two young daughters, Sunday and Malt, and he’s confident his seasonal products will ride the generous wave of cold rain, sadness, and anger Vancouver winter has to offer.
“We have a lot of flavors for this winter season, like ‘Sweater’ and ‘Wooly Sock’, both of which are sure to do as well as our most popular sandwich flavor: Vanilla.”
“No, I would not eat gluten-free ice cream sandwiches in the winter,” local Vancouverite John Maric told the Other Press. “Why are you asking me? Get out of my house! It’s three in the morning! I’m calling the police.”
Unfortunately, not is all fruitful for the frozen dairy entrepreneur: Four years ago, Riddlen’s wife passed away, leaving him to raise his two sticky, malnourished children alone.
“She died from a brain freeze,” said Riddlen. “I told her she could just stick to just eating sandwiches if she wanted, but she just loved ice cream so much. God bless her.”
“Please give us different food to eat,” one of the children told the Other Press. “We are so hungry.”
Ice (cream) Ice (cream) Baby is located on King Edward and Main in Vancouver and is open from 9 am to 9 pm every day except Sunday, and Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday.
