Paleteria y Neveria El Arco de Michoacán in southeast Fresno offers traditional family recipes of paletas, nieves, and aguas frescas, just like those found in Michoacán, Mexico.
The shop, which opened at 4842 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd. in 2019, has gained a local following for its expansive menu, which includes more than 60 flavors of handmade paletas, nieves, and aguas frescas.
Oscar Cisneros, who oversees operations at El Arco de Michoacán, said the the shop’s name comes from the arches, or “arcos,” seen in every town in Michoacán.
Cisneros is the cousin of Norberto and Ernesto Macías, the shop’s owners, and said the recipes come from his uncle, Salvador Díaz Prado, who owns a paletería and nevería in Mexico City. The family has been making paletas and nieves for more than 40 years.
“The owners went to Mexico City to learn about the paletería business. They got all the flavors and recipes for the nieves and paletas from our uncle,” Cisneros said. “Once they opened their first location in Moreno Valley, they faced many challenges keeping things afloat, seeing as they don’t come from a family with abundant resources. But they invested their own money and always found a way to overcome obstacles and keep moving forward.”
El Arco de Michoacán offers a wide variety of traditional Mexican treats. All of their ingredients are sourced from local vendors.
“In Fresno, I’ve noticed there are also a lot of people from Michoacán, so we try to bring them the flavors they grew up with — the ones they remember from back home,” Cisneros said.
The paletas come in two styles — smooth, creamy paletas de crema and refreshing, fruit-packed paletas de agua — each crafted with fresh ingredients. Paletas include chunks of real fruit, bits of nuts, or even whole pieces of Oreo cookies, giving every bite a rich texture and a homemade feel.
Some of the most popular creamy paletas include strawberry with milk, Oreo, cheesecake, and bubblegum, while favorite water-based flavors include strawberry and mango with chamoy.
To make their paletas, the Arco de Michoacán team mixes a creamy or fruit-based base, pours it into molds, and quickly freezes them in an ice-and-salt machine.
“We’re bringing the flavors of Michoacán into every product. We come from a place where life can be tough, you’re constantly battling something to get ahead, but that doesn’t stop us from chasing our dreams,” Cisneros said. “As a kid in Michoacán, I loved Oreo paletas, and now people get to taste them too.”
The aguas frescas — traditional Mexican drinks made from fresh fruit, water and sugar — come in refreshing flavors like lime with chia, cucumber, coconut with walnut, pineapple, watermelon, strawberry and milk, and horchata. Each one offers a light, naturally sweet taste that highlights the freshness of the ingredients.
According to Cisneros, the most popular flavor is strawberry with milk, likely because each beverage is packed with a generous amount of real strawberries.
“When the owners first opened this shop in Fresno, these treats were hard to find, which made the area appealing to them because it meant there wouldn’t be a lot of competition,” Cisneros said. “There’s also a significant Latino and field worker community here, and the warm climate helps too.”
The menu also includes fruit cups, pork rinds, tostilocos (loaded tortilla chips), mangonadas and other refreshing snacks that highlight the bold flavors of Michoacán.
Over the years, the shop has also added modern favorites, including Dubai chocolate strawberry cups, crepes, mini pancakes, kataifi and açai bowls.
“We adapt to what’s popular at the moment. When people see these items, they want to try them, and we’ve received a very positive response,” Cisneros said.
Cisneros added that social media has been key to shaping their evolving menu.
“Now with social media, we can see what people like, and we use that information to expand our menu and start offering different items,” he said.
As for the future, Cisneros said the family is interested in adding more locations in the Fresno area.
“Fresno is huge, so it’d be interesting to add another location in a city like Clovis or Madera, but our main focus remains making sure we’re offering a product that tastes just like the flavors in Michoacan,” he said.
