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Frozen fads come and go in cycles. Two years ago Pinkberry was all the rage. Two decades ago TCBYs and Hogi Yogis ruled America’s urban and suburban landscape. Now will a simple frozen treat from our 50th state become the next big thing?
For months in the Valencia Promenade (a strip mall down the street from the Town Center) there was a storefront sign that touted “Shave It” was coming. Many customers thought that either an upscale barber shop or a store dedicated to razors and shaving was going to open. (And we probably all thought the same thing: “Those people are going to lose their shirts opening in this economy!”)
But Shave It finally opened nearly three weeks ago, and we were dead wrong. It’s a shop dedicated to Hawaiian shave ice treats, ice cream and interesting combinations of the two.
Traditional shave ice lovers can get flavors like mango, cherry, watermelon, grape, lemon, papaya, banana, guava or less traditional like Hawaiian punch, mocha, jungle juice, cotton candy and bubble gum. The ice is straight up and simple and will set you back about $2.50 a serving.
But the Shave It menu can get a little complicated, too, by creating concoctions that combine ice cream and shaved ice. Think of it like a shave ice sandwich -- a big sno cone in between two layers of ice cream. Their “X-Factor” contains French vanilla shave ice with Brazilian Coffee ice cream; their “Pop Tart” contains contains coconut, pineapple and guava ices on a bed of vanilla bean ice cream.
The store also has a philanthropic bent to it: Eight percent of all profits will go to the Foster a Miracle Foundation, a nonprofit. The Valencia location is the second of three locations that have opened. The Thousand Oaks outlet is open now and one in Norwalk is coming soon.
Even in this crappy economy, Shave It might stand a chance. Especially with a hot summer ahead -- guaranteed in the SCV.
