Snowdays Cafe Hits Brooklyn With A Flurry Of Sweets
After introducing shaved cream to New York City in 2014, Snowdays finally brings the unique frozen dessert to Brooklyn with its latest outpost located at 214 Flatbush Avenue (at Bergen).
At the grand opening of Snowdays Cafe on Sunday, customers got a taste of shaved cream, a combination of snow-like shaved ice and rich ice cream, along with specialty hot chocolates, Intelligentsia coffee, matcha brownies, and other Asian-inspired signature desserts like warm brioche milk toast drizzled in sweet condensed milk.
The cafe also features a cereal bar serving up childhood favorites like Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Fruity Pebbles with locally sourced milk and a variety of toppings including fresh fruit, Oreos, and more.
Founder Tony Quach came up with the concept of Snowdays after discovering shaved cream while living in Los Angeles where shops selling the frozen snack began popping up. Originally from Connecticut, Quach returned to the east coast in 2013 determined to be the first to introduce the shaved cream trend to New York.
He says, “I did research and development for about 6 months and developed the recipes from scratch.” Trying out various powder mixes from Asia, which he describes as having a “very chalky, synthetic taste” he knew that he wanted to use fresh dairy for his interpretation. “I hit the books and started studying ice cream-making and figured out the recipe.”
He opened his first Snowdays shop at East 10th Street in the East Village in 2014, followed by another in the West Village and 2 locations in Queens. For his largest space in Brooklyn, Quach expanded on the Snowdays concept including coffee and a selection of house made desserts. He says he wanted to create a “cool place” where people can “grab a coffee and dessert and hang out.”
In collaboration with Intelligentsia, the café offers its version of an affogato (gelato and hot espresso) adding sweet milk cream and condensed milk to a shot of Intelligentsia espresso for the “Snow-fogato.”
The inviting 980-square-foot, 35-seat space, housed in a former medical office, is fitted out with a wooden bar, tables, and benches (all made from reclaimed wood supplied by the shop’s landlord, Michael Pintchik) along with warm baby blue walls, white subway tiles, and whimsical neon signs.
After Sunday’s launch, Quach says he finds “the Brooklyn community is really supportive of us…and we’re really excited to be here as well.”
