Two Queens brothers have taken their business from street vending and flea markets to a storefront in Jamaica. NY1's Clodagh McGowan reports.
Fried Ice Cream. It sounds like an oxymoron but Elmhurst resident Nelson Chau knew it would capture people's attention at street fairs.
"They like to see new things. o I was like, fried ice cream. If I could fry the ice cream in front of their face and it doesn't melt, it will interest them," said Chau, the co-owner of Sam Fried’s Ice Cream.
Chau and his brother Samuel first started vending at flea markets and street fairs 10 years ago. Last week, the duo opened their first storefront in the Jamaica Market on Jamaica Avenue.
"Now, we do more local areas. So, people get to know you. You can give out a business card and say 'hey, we're in Jamaica now, so they can just come to you right away. We actually have a lot of people who follow us over here," said
Samuel Chau, the owner of Sam’s Fried Ice Cream.
So, what’s the draw? In addition to ice cream, they'll fry up just about anything, from Nutella to their signature Oreo-crusted ice-cream balls.
"We actually told a customer, you can try the fried ice cream and walk down 10 blocks and come back and the ice cream still won't melt. And she actually did that and came back and gave us a $5 tip," said [Nelson] Chau.
Sam's Fried Ice Cream became a hot commodity at the Queens International Night Market last year. Founder John Wang says he's ecstatic to see one of his vendors open up their own storefront.
"One of the missions of the night market is to really support and promote small businesses; both through the market and externally as much as we can. So it's exciting to see them, the first brick and mortar," said Wang.
Sam’s Fried Ice Cream is proving to be popular in Jamaica too.
"I thought it was a really unique idea. And I really like the way it tasted," said Adina Gawah.
The Chaus will continue selling their deep fried treats at street fairs but are already looking to open a second storefront in the future.