Arlington resident Leah Lujan, 15, hands a Rainbow snowcone to Arlington resident Mary Towne, 40, on June 23 at BrrBearry Snowcone. Towne said she finds it important to support women-owned small businesses.
An employee moves in and out of a cold trailer, refilling flavor bottles, candy and making sure all the machines are up and running. Rows of bottles adorn the walls, 71 flavors waiting to see what unique snow cone combinations customers come up with.
When the clock hits 3 p.m., the window is unlocked, the ‘OPEN’ sign is turned on and BrrBearry Snowcones starts its day.
Across Arlington, other stands are prepping and serving the midday crowd. Employees shave ice, fill flavor bottles, and take order after order, from morning to evening. This article explores three different snowcone businesses across Arlington.
BrrBearry Snowcone
Years ago, Monique De La Cruz, owner of BrrBearry Snowcone, had a dream to run a snowcone stand. Now, five years into accomplishing that dream, De La Cruz has served hundreds of people and plans to expand her family business in the near future.
Each having its own twist, drawl and flavor combination, the specialties at BrrBearry are particularly popular. One of their most popular snow cones is the Barbie, a signature special topped with marshmallow frosting, sprinkles, cherries and lollipops, served in a flamingo float with a flamingo straw.
The specialty snow cones can take a minute to make, as a lot goes into them, De La Cruz said. They make the simple syrup bases in-house, mixing pure cane sugar, water and a preservative before adding their concentrates. She said they prioritize the strength of their flavors.
Other popular specialties include the Pineapple Mango Express, which includes pineapple and mango syrups, chamoy and tajín, mango chunks, a dried chili mango candy, and a tamarindo straw; and the Rainbow Blast, which includes four flavors topped with sour rainbow belts made into a bow and cherries, Monique De La Cruz said.
Leah Lujan sprinkles cheesecake toppings on a Strawberry Cheesecake snowcone on June 23 at BrrBearry Snowcone. BrrBeary Snowcone officially opened September 25 2021.
Sophia Flores, barista, said customers frequently purchase blue coconut, Pineapple Mango Express, Tiger’s Blood and Strawberry Cheesecake.
She said customers come to BrrBearry because they always add a special touch to their snow cones, which is a parasol with a Peach Ring.
“It makes them want to come back,” she said. “Some of our stuff here is stuff that you can’t find really somewhere else. They’re unique stuff that people gravitate towards.”
In addition to snow cones, they also sell specialty snacks like churros and Pickle Rollitos, as well as coffee and lemonade.
Returning customer Mary Towne, 40, purchased a customized Rainbow Snowcone, adding some of the currently popular, differently coloured snow cone flavors.
“I wanted to taste the rainbow, literally,” Towne said, “I have blue for blue coconut, I have yellow for the wedding cake or something like that, and then I have red for the tiger’s blood.”
Daesy’s Tropical Sno
The first thing a customer sees when visiting Daesy’s Tropical Sno is the Volkswagens out front. A close look will show colorful tables with flower-shaped seats, chess and other enlarged games ready to play, and a sign.
The small building doesn’t seem like much, but when the door opens, a colorful world of Volkswagen memorabilia, walls of art and a tiki bar to the right gives way to snow cones. For almost nine years, Anna and Shaun Mallory have owned Daesy’s Tropical Snow.
Growing up, Shaun Mallory was introduced to the world of snow cones by his parents, who were Tropical Sno distributors. He said when he was in high school, he would help his parents at work. After he and his wife had children, they decided to go with what was familiar: they opened their own Tropical Sno.
Snowcone syrup flavors sit across the wall on June 23 at BrrBearry Snowcone. The business offers over 60 different snowcone flavors.
As part of the Tropical Sno franchise, Daesy’s offers customers a unique experience. The welcoming, homey environment, coupled with their one-of-a-kind presentation, brings in both longtime returning customers and new ones.
Nearly every decoration in the shop was given by customers, said Mallory. From a painting of his son playing the guitar, a miniature bobblehead of the owner, drawings and a rock with Mallory’s face on it, customers have brought all kinds of treasures to be stored in this well-loved store.
Prep stays the same from snow cone stand to snow cone stand. Anna Mallory said that a typical day consists of refilling flavors and toppings and making sure the ice is well-stocked.
A meticulous process of freezing and storing ice is maintained to give customers the best experience. Shaun Mallory said that it takes three days for water to freeze fully and be usable.
“Especially in the summertime, you got to really stay on top of it,” he said.
Their flavors come from dehydrated fruits, Anna Mallory said. Though a more costly alternative, Shaun Mallory said that it elevates the taste, makes it “so good.”
With dozens of flavors available, they’ve had some interesting flavor combinations over the years, they said. One customer stood out, consistently getting a combination of root beer and pickle.
Currently, two snow cones compete for the top spot, said Anna Mallory. The Silver Fox, which is vanilla, coconut and vanilla cream and the Speedy Gonzalez or “Speedy G”, which is mango, pineapple, chamoy, and tajín.
With unique saucer-shaped cups, a generous serving of ice, popsicle Wednesdays, a point system and more, Daesy’s has made its mark on Arlington.
Arlington resident Leah Lujan, 15, drizzles syrup on a Strawberry Cheesecake snowcone on June 23 at BrrBearry Snowcone. A variety of snowcones, churros and pickles are for sale.
MC Snow Cones
Just off North Cooper Street, a white building stands alone. Its sole denominator is a sign bearing the name ‘MC Snow Cones’. Customers park and approach the window, eating vibrant snow cones in the summer heat. The drive-through window is never empty, car after car pulling in for an icy treat.
To those outside of DFW, this stand is just one of many snow cone stands in the area. But for residents, it is a staple of the summer. With over twenty years of service and three locations, MC Snow Cone has resided in Arlington since 2005, owner Lupita Hernandez said.
Cinthya Torres, cashier, said they can get upwards of 200 customers on a busy day, like Sundays, with around 800 snow cones being sold.
She said customers tend to prefer sweet flavors over sour, but she has seen some unique combinations, like cream and pickles.
For customers who don’t know what they want, she’d recommend Tiger’s Blood, strawberry shortcake or wedding cake for someone craving something sweet and green apple, blackberry and pineapple for someone wanting a sour-flavored snow cone.
Hernandez said in addition to snow cones, they sell snacks like chamoyadas, mangonadas and nachos. Along with sugar-free flavors, they offer toppings like chili powder, gummies, cachuates japoneses, mega flechazos and cueritos.
One of the reasons their flavors stand out is that the syrups come from New Orleans, she said. The employees mix it with real cane sugar or Splenda for the sugar-free flavors.
“We have natural flavors, like we have tamarindo and strawberry; the lemonade freeze is made from either strawberry or mango, and there’s the strawberry delight and the mango delight; those are all natural,” Hernandez said.
Customers frequently purchase tiger’s blood, blue raspberry, blue coconut, strawberry and cherry, she said.
“It’s a very wholesome thing for a family to go out and do. It’s inexpensive; it’s an easy thing to enjoy on a hot summer day,” Hernandez said.
@atclements03