“Creating moments of Joy” is the mantra of Pop Pops Paleta shop, and they deliver big time. Owners Nissim Lavy and his wife Shira Ladelsky are the creative minds behind this paleta concept, which now has three locations including the newest in Coronado at 943 Orange Ave. While the word paleta has several meanings when translated from Spanish to English, a common one is frozen treat on a stick.
A ribbon cutting was hosted by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce on August 15 for the Coronado shop.
When contemplating a business venture, Nissim and Shira looked at a variety of franchises, and then due to Nissim’s love of cooking and eating ice cream, they decided on paletas, and thought “How hard can it be?”
They secured their first two locations in Little Italy and Hillcrest and purchased the machines before making a single paleta, but they proved to be fast learners and soon mastered the process. “We had a lot to learn,” comments Shira.
They opened in Little Italy, at 1740 India Street, in 2021 during the pandemic, and then the Hillcrest location, 525 University Ave., opened earlier this year with their production kitchen.
Their path to opening in Coronado was a three-month process, from securing the location to receiving the last-minute approval late in the afternoon on July 3. They whipped into action and were able to open at 11 am on July 4, arguably the busiest day of the year in Coronado. Business has been steady throughout the summer, particularly with local supporters who frequented their other locations and had been asking them to open here.
They estimate that they spend more than 30 hours a week creating paletas. Each batch of 182 paletas takes about 30 minutes and the process is not what you might imagine. The paleta machine starts with a rapid freezing process, involving a liquid-cooled system mode, then a warm water bath is used to easily demold the paletas.
When asked about the recipes, Nissim points out that there is not a standard recipe like making a cake, but rather a scientific formula that he develops for each flavor. Shira says he is a math whiz and can easily whip up the best flavor profiles. The duo stress that they only use real fruit and natural ingredients, like fresh watermelon and kiwi for the watermelon cooler paleta (which I highly recommend).
While they both have held a variety of jobs, she as a Montessori teacher and realtor, and he in business and as a plant manager for Whirlpool, they have embraced this new venture with passion. They want people to come in for a smile and tasty treat, and promise that once you’ve tried their paletas, you will come back to try more flavors and for their friendly customer service.
With an expansive menu of 28 flavors, they teamed up with their daughters to dream up new creations. They have even had customers give suggestions. Cookies and milk is the most popular flavor and I can vouch for the creamy deliciousness, especially after it is dipped in Italian chocolate, sprinkled with Oreo crumbles, and topped with a white chocolate drizzle.
Both dairy and non-dairy options are available, and they won’t venture a guess at the calorie counts, except to say that the guilt-free mint lemonade paleta has zero calories (and that is another flavor I highly recommend). Nissim says that his formulas use less sugar than regular ice cream, and notes that most people don’t realize that ice cream is made up of 18 to 20 percent air, which is not the case with paletas.
He isn’t daunted by any flavor request — even cheeseburger, he joked. A Guava Cheesecake combination was created for a Fox News challenge for the most unique paleta flavor in the US. Nissim is partial to tiramisu, and Shira loves fruity pebbles. The popular Dubai Chocolate paletas always sell out.
About 90 percent of customers put their own spin on a paleta, choosing a dip in one of three chocolates or piling on toppings like sprinkles, M&M’s, gummy bears, and more. S’more fans can go all in with a marshmallow dip that’s toasted right on the spot, while milkshake lovers have that option too. Paletas start at $6.50 and chocolate dips are $1.00, with toppings priced at 50 cents.
Paletas are available for special events, weddings, baby showers, parties; and they’ve worked with companies such as American Express, Sharp Healthcare, and San Diego FC soccer team. One client gets paletas weekly to boost employee morale. For takeout, a cooler bag is provided for 12 or more paletas and they offer a bulk discount for larger quantities. They can also host an interactive paleta cart, with a minimum order of 100 paletas.
The name, logo, and colorful store design come from Shira’s love of pop art – check out their Instagram to really see it in action. There’s a vibrant headphone wall at each location, with one area dedicated to its neighborhood’s vibe – Coronado’s includes a colorful bridge.
Logo swag is part of the mix too — cooler bags, hats, and shirts — and many customers like the merch with the name ‘Pop’ since it doubles as a term of endearment for grandfathers.
A recent separate business venture is the UltraGoGo shop next to the Little Italy location, which Shira says contains, “Everything you don’t need but want to buy,” including quirky knick knacks, unique candy, squishies for adults and kids, purses, drinkware, and so much more. She is open to finding a location for this retail concept in Coronado.
Choose from chocolatey, creamy, fruity, and unexpected flavors at Pop Pops Paleta. As a self-proclaimed salt lover who regularly craves French fries for a treat, I’ve expanded my horizons and highly recommend a trip to the shop for some scrumptious customized goodness, and you’ll even find a fun saying on the stick when your treat is gone.
Love the Bana-Tella!
6 dollars for a popsicle?