Before I get into the Scoopy Scoopy story, I thought it appropriate to provide a backstory on the Leucadia phenomenon of word repetition that began in 2010 with the launch of Surfy Surfy and Café Ipe, which later became Coffee Coffee. The whole thing began with Dave and Erin Thomas, Karen Pankopf and JP St. Pierre, the local partners who made it happen.
The name “Surfy Surfy” went back even further and originated from the call that went out to friends by JP St. Pierre when the waves were good in hopes of generating a group to paddle out. My small group of Michigan surfer transplants had a similar code text when a secret spot held a surf-worthy high tide that we coined “push push?”
This trend has become ubiquitous within Leucadia as evidenced by a local apartment complex renamed “Housey Housey,” the Regal Seagull advertising “Beery Beery” and even “Schooly Schooly,” a popular line of spirit wear sold by the Paul Ecke Central PTA in Leucadia. I’m sure I’m missing some others.
So when the time came for Zach Zien and Steven Segal, who lived in Leucadia at the time, to come up with a name for their ice cream concept, Scoopy Scoopy was almost an obvious choice. Zien is now a Cardiff resident whose day job is in real estate, and Segal came up with the concept of taking advantage of underutilized retail spaces rather than leasing their own.
The Scoopy Scoopy partners started out using Bump Coffee’s retail space and cash register in Cardiff in exchange for a portion of ice cream sales.
I love this concept, as they are currently setting up shop a block from me at Coffee Coffee in Leucadia, Friday-Sunday, 4:30-9:30 p.m. Those are perfect hours to enjoy dinner at one of the many options in Leucadia, then walk over to Scoopy Scoopy and indulge in dessert at one of the most relaxing atmospheres around — in the courtyard of Coffee Coffee under the beautiful ipe tree. It’s a perfect spot to end the day, great people watching, while savoring some of the best ice cream around.
Besides their pop-up locations, Scoopy Scoopy has proven to be very popular at a wide range of events including festivals, birthdays, weddings and corporate events. They create dessert moments that are fresh, exciting, easy and completely stress-free.
I could see this being a perfect addition to a traditional caterer or food truck, and could you imagine how great this would go over at a kids’ event? I’m thinking you would come across as rock-star parents from a child’s perspective.
As I was interviewing Zach for the podcast version of Lick the Plate (listen at
www.lick-the-plate.com), it clicked that he is the son of San Diego celebrity chef Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien, who has been a fixture on the San Diego culinary scene for years with his show and restaurant ventures.
In our interview, Zach goes into detail on what that was like growing up, seeing his dad rise to become a local celebrity of sorts with his endeavors. And it obviously inspired Zach to veer in that direction himself.
OK, so enough on the backstory, let’s talk about the goods, the fabulous ice cream at Scoopy Scoopy. It’s actually shipped in from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream in Madison, Wisconsin, and considered by many as amongst the best ice cream around.
This has been validated by some locals I know with ties to Madison, along with the North American Ice Cream Association, which honored Chocolate Shoppe with multiple awards, including naming it a three-time Grand Master Ice Cream Maker. I’d include it on my favorites list as well, and given that they are setting up shop all summer at one of my favorite locations anywhere further elevates the experience.
I counted over 50 flavors on their website, but they obviously can’t offer that many options at their pop-ups and events. Some of their rotating mix includes scoops of Zanzibar Chocolate, Old Fashioned Vanilla, Heaps of Love, Fat Elvis, Mango Untamed, Munchie Madness, Party Animal, Rubarb Crumble, Cotton Candy Twist, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang and Exhausted Parent (great name and includes Bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream swirled with bittersweet chocolate chunks).
Scoopy Scoopy sells a 3.5-ounce single scoop for $5. Two scoops go for $7 and three scoops for $9. Chocolate and vanilla flavors are always offered and there’s a rotating variety of five to six other options available from week to week.
So there you have it, world-class ice cream being served up in the heart of Leucadia in an idyllic location and at your next event, by young entrepreneurs with a knack for doing things right. Check them out at www.scoopyscoopy.com.
