Willow Glen Resident

Business

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Lots of Dots: Tracey Cupfer, owner of the new Dippin' Dots that recently opened in the Willow Glen Plaza, scoops out a batch of bubble gum ice cream. It's the only Dippin' Dots around that's not inside a theme park.

Cupfers have the scoop on new Dippin' Dots shop

By Laura Rheinheimer

Ice cream of the future is now available in Willow Glen, in a store that looks like it's from The Jetsons.

The idea to open Dippin' Dots at 2390 Almaden Road in the Willow Glen Plaza came to owners Tracey and Rick Cupfer after they ate the small dots of ice cream while on vacation. The couple was impressed by all the flavors, and the success of the small kiosk operating out of the Oregon mall.

"We saw one in Oregon and said, 'Hey, we don't have one of these in San Jose,' " Tracey Cupfer said.

The store opened Aug. 10, and since then, Cupfer said, families and children have been pouring in.

The owners are planning a grand opening event for Sept. 9 in the plaza's parking lot. It will feature a huge slide, face-painting, music and Polaroid pictures with the Dippin' Dots' mascots Dot Man and Packey. It's the only store in the area where Dippin' Dots can be purchased. The other locations are inside theme parks, including Great America, Raging Waters and Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.

"I'm totally excited. A Dippin' Dots that's not in an amusement park," said Kimi Pollifrone, who brought her daughter and friend to the shop.

"I like how it's little dots instead of all chunky," said 12-year-old Milan Pollifrone. She was snacking on little green and pink beads of ice cream, which together make a watermelon flavor, while her friend Hannah Moreno ate black and white cookies and cream-flavored dots.

Dippin' Dots is made from the same ingredients as regular ice cream, but is flash-frozen at extremely cold temperatures to maintain the small individual beads of ice cream.

There are 24 flavors to choose from in the Willow Glen Dippin' Dots, including dairy-free and sugar-free options.

But people can mix and match, so there are virtually endless combinations, Cupfer said.

The Cupfers decided on the "Jetsons" chairs and tables, which adjust in height and swivel, so customers can rotate the table and try one another's ice cream.

Opening the store has also turned into a family affair. The couple has four children, and their daughter Lindsey, 18, works in the store.

The children also lend their expertise, Rick Cupfer said. "They're our official Dippin' Dots test-tasters."

Dippin' Dots, 2390 Almaden Road, Suite 30, is located in the Willow Glen Plaza. For more information, call 408.269.4025.