In a 2024 survey by the International Dairy Foods Association, 97 percent of survey respondents said they love or like ice cream. That majority will soon have a new sweet treat option when Salt & Straw, the ice creamery known for its unique flavor profiles, comes to Coronado this spring.
Founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, Coronado’s Salt & Straw will be located at 1303 Orange Avenue, between Stake Chophouse and Better Buzz Coffee. This will be their fourth location San Diego County, and Kim notes that it’s been in the works for three years. Originally from Montana, she has fond memories of coming to Coronado with her family while growing up and is excited to be opening on Orange Ave.
When asked how the company originally came together, Kim shared that her background is in business and communication, and she was one of the early employees at Starbucks when there were only 30 stores. She had the initial idea in 1996 as a place where people could gather together over joy, and she knew ice cream would be the perfect connector. After all, her cousin Tyler, who attended culinary school and lived in her basement, whipped up amazing creations in his ice cream maker from Goodwill. She finally took the leap in 2011, holding garage sales and cashing in her 401K to finance the dream. Just a few years after the first Salt & Straw launched in Portland, Tyler was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the Food and Drink category. The company has grown organically to 54 stores in Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and California, with the busiest location in Downtown Disney.
The family-owned company does have several investors, including Dwayne Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia, who Kim says show up as real investors and even help create flavors; as well as early investor and advisor Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer.
All the ice cream is made at their Portland facility, but in each new market, Salt & Straw makes an effort to connect with local vendors, including chefs, bakers, and farms to source products, and Tyler has begun that process here. Kim says that they also try to shine a light on social issues like food waste reduction.
The Salt & Straw menu includes 13 standard flavors, with five new flavor drops each month. They also offer gluten free and vegan choices. February is their chocolatiers series; May offers fun with floral selections; and July incorporates a berry theme including the popular Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero offering. “Think of the menu like a magazine,” said Kim, “with new flavors dropping monthly.”
Reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, the Pots of Gold and Rainbows flavor is always a hit and takes extra care to make, as the cereal is hand-separated to blend into the cream first, and then the candied marshmallows are added. “There’s no length we won’t go to create the perfect flavors,” said Kim.
Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, a staple flavor, features a mix of Guatemalan fleur de sel ice cream coupled with dark salted caramel ribbons. Tyler calls the Salted, Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough “pluckable” because it’s chock full of so many ingredients. The Great Candycopia, with its seven handmade candy bars mixed in, is also beloved.
“We have found that customers have a lot of passion for our flavors and even petition to have some brought back,” highlights Kim.
There is no rendering for the Coronado store at this time, but Kim says that they take care to create a beautifully curated space, with handcrafted light fixtures, inspired by none other than ice cream, custom tiles, carved wooden cabinets, outdoor benches, and window seating. They pride themselves on investing in people and hospitality and plan to employ a team of 30 in Coronado. Kim said that customers often connect with one another while waiting in line, and they are soon hosting a wedding in one of the stores for customers who met that way.
Kim likens the Salt & Straw experience to “going around the world through flavors” and says that staff will know the intricacies of the ice cream they scoop. She also asked that readers who have unique flavor ideas to please share them on Instagram @saltandstraw or in-person when the store opens.
For more information, visit saltandstraw.com, and stay tuned for the opening date to be announced.
