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No, that's not ice cream toppings you see in the freezer at West of Philly, A Deli, a new breakfast and lunch cafe that opened near Mesa Mall Aug. 15.
It's actually tiny beads of ice cream, created in a special freezing process using liquid nitrogen. Unlike typical ice cream there are no air or ice crystals in the frozen dessert.
One of the owners of West of Philly, Jessica Lampshire fell in love with Dippin' Dots ice cream as a young girl after she was introduced to it at amusement parks. She craved it when she was pregnant with her second child, and ordered it online, spending $100 a gallon, and another $100 to keep it on dry ice.
Lampshire and her parents, Steve and Christy Moore, along with Jene Yoder, bought the Dippin' Dots ice cream franchise three years ago. It was located in Mesa Mall. The group of owners bought the restaurant equipment from the former Doodles Bistro, 2486 Patterson, and turned it into their own deli with an entire new menu. And they brought along the Dippin' Dots.
“It's the first co-branded Dippin' Dots store in the nation,” Lampshire said. “They've never allowed other food before.”
West of Philly serves traditional deli sandwiches such as Italian subs and Philly cheesesteaks, as well as a slew of other hot and cold sandwiches. They also make various salads and homemade soups.
Breakfast choices include quiche, breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, bagels and pastries. The deli also offers an entire barista coffee bar, with coffee from Colorado Legacy, a local roaster.
Julie Dickensheetz, owner of The Eatery restaurant in Delta, will join the restaurant crew in two weeks, making breads and pastries in-house.
The deli sought assistance from the Business Incubator Center after being turned down for a bank loan — even after they had paid a previous bank loan off early.
The Business Incubator Center is a nonprofit entrepreneurial organization that helps new and expanding businesses in Mesa County. The center provides free consulting, low-cost business classes, and loans to small businesses.
“The Incubator treated us like an asset rather than a liability whereas the banks are opposite — they treat you like a liability rather than an asset,” Steve Moore said.
“The Incubator helps people grow. They're interested in true reinvestment into community.”
They borrowed $42,000 for operating capital, and to pay expenses to sell ice cream at summer events.
“We travel in three states selling ice cream,” Moore said.
The brightly painted walls are decorated with photographs and paintings by local artists. The work is for sale and changes every three months.
There's a play area with miniature table and chairs where children can play.
“Being a young woman I wanted to create a place where moms could meet with other moms and have a place where the kids could play and hang out,” Lampshire said.
West of Philly is available for catering, and delivers orders of $25 or more.
The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
It's actually tiny beads of ice cream, created in a special freezing process using liquid nitrogen. Unlike typical ice cream there are no air or ice crystals in the frozen dessert.
One of the owners of West of Philly, Jessica Lampshire fell in love with Dippin' Dots ice cream as a young girl after she was introduced to it at amusement parks. She craved it when she was pregnant with her second child, and ordered it online, spending $100 a gallon, and another $100 to keep it on dry ice.
Lampshire and her parents, Steve and Christy Moore, along with Jene Yoder, bought the Dippin' Dots ice cream franchise three years ago. It was located in Mesa Mall. The group of owners bought the restaurant equipment from the former Doodles Bistro, 2486 Patterson, and turned it into their own deli with an entire new menu. And they brought along the Dippin' Dots.
“It's the first co-branded Dippin' Dots store in the nation,” Lampshire said. “They've never allowed other food before.”
West of Philly serves traditional deli sandwiches such as Italian subs and Philly cheesesteaks, as well as a slew of other hot and cold sandwiches. They also make various salads and homemade soups.
Breakfast choices include quiche, breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, bagels and pastries. The deli also offers an entire barista coffee bar, with coffee from Colorado Legacy, a local roaster.
Julie Dickensheetz, owner of The Eatery restaurant in Delta, will join the restaurant crew in two weeks, making breads and pastries in-house.
The deli sought assistance from the Business Incubator Center after being turned down for a bank loan — even after they had paid a previous bank loan off early.
The Business Incubator Center is a nonprofit entrepreneurial organization that helps new and expanding businesses in Mesa County. The center provides free consulting, low-cost business classes, and loans to small businesses.
“The Incubator treated us like an asset rather than a liability whereas the banks are opposite — they treat you like a liability rather than an asset,” Steve Moore said.
“The Incubator helps people grow. They're interested in true reinvestment into community.”
They borrowed $42,000 for operating capital, and to pay expenses to sell ice cream at summer events.
“We travel in three states selling ice cream,” Moore said.
The brightly painted walls are decorated with photographs and paintings by local artists. The work is for sale and changes every three months.
There's a play area with miniature table and chairs where children can play.
“Being a young woman I wanted to create a place where moms could meet with other moms and have a place where the kids could play and hang out,” Lampshire said.
West of Philly is available for catering, and delivers orders of $25 or more.
The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
