Popfancy, Bellaire dessert shop, emerges from humble beginnings
Popfancy, a gourmet popsicle shop, celebrated the grand opening of its first permanent location in Bellaire on Saturday.
The interior is whimsical, combining modern design with pink and iridescent decorations. Popfancy’s staple menu items are its gourmet popsicles, including flavors such as Thai tea, horchata and pineapple mojito. The new permanent location has expanded the menu to include more creative options, such as mochi waffles.
The popsicles are marketed as all-natural and made fresh daily, with frequently changing flavors according to trends and seasons. The founder, Chris Doan, described the beginnings of Popfancy as very humble.
“We started this with pennies, no capital, no inve stment partners … It was all self-funded,” Doan said. “We started out on a tricycle going around town to different events, different neighborhoods, small little soccer games.”
This mobile system eventually evolved from a catering model to a food truck and now, to a permanent storefront. Doan said he had no food experience, but had always loved branding and designing. He wanted something easy to brand, and so he decided on ice cream.
“I used to be an architect. [I] hated the corporate world. It was so much different than like what school was, so I wanted to find something to escape the corporate world,” Doan said.
Doan explained that much of the inspiration behind Popfancy was recreating childhood nostalgia. Whether through its unique flavors, such as cereal milk popsicles, or the bright interior design, Doan intended for Popfancy to stand out from other ice cream shops. “I am a big Disney kid,” Doan said. “Walt Disney said this really amazing quote that always stuck with me — you never ever want to design for kids because adults are just kids grown up, so design for everybody. So I apply that to how Popfancy translates to branding.”
Doan’s favorite items include the mangonada, taro and avocado popsicles, as well as the flurry ice cream, which blends favorite childhood cereals with ice cream. “This is a place for us to get creative and think of whatever dessert trends are out there and create them ourselves,” said Doan.
I tried two of the gourmet popsicles, the cereal milk and strawberry cheesecake popsicles. The cereal milk popsicle, complete with Fruity Pebbles inside, reminded me of childhood breakfasts — it tastes exactly as its name suggests.
The strawberry cheesecake popsicle satisfied my sweet tooth with its rich and creamy flavor topped off with a graham cracker crumble. Combining the classic childhood treat with sophisticated and unique flavors, Popfancy is the perfect dessert spot for anyone, but especially for the nostalgic.
Popfancy’s new location, 9393 Bellaire Blvd., Suite A6, is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from noon to midnight Friday and Saturday.
More from The Rice Thresher
Review: Taylor Swift reclaims her artistry with re-recorded album “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”
Fans got their first taste of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded album, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” when a snippet of “Love Story” was used in Ryan Reynolds’ Tinder commercial last December. The full album was released on April 9 and includes remastered versions of every song from the platinum edition of Swift’s 2008 album, “Fearless,” along with six unreleased songs “from the vault” that were cut from the original project. The re-release is largely unchanged from the original in terms of her familiar vocals on fan-favorite singles like “You Belong With Me.” Still, the album epitomizes the singer-songwriter’s artistic growth over the past decade and serves as the first step to Swift regaining ownership of her music, making “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” a worthwhile listen for returning fans and new listeners alike.
KTRU Outdoor Show brings music, art to campus scene and virtual screens
As the close of the semester approaches, KTRU wants to help end the academic year on a high note. KTRU’s annual Outdoor Show will round out the end of the semester — albeit in a different format than what we have seen in years past. On April 24 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Rice community will have the chance to gather in the central quad — distanced and masked — for what Katelyn Landry, this year’s organizer for ODS, called a “mini music and art festival.” This year’s show will consist of screenings and livestreams of artists’ pre-recorded sets, an art installation, Houston food trucks on sight and an opportunity for the Rice community to connect with each other through music and art whether in-person or virtually.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.