March 20, 2017

Meet Tom Nguyen of Kremo Ice Cream in Duluth

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Nguyen.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We heard talks of how street vendors in Thailand were making this kind of ice cream where they do not need a freezer to store it to sell on the street of Thailand. At the time we had no idea that it existed in America until we took a trip to New York City and got to see it. We all bought and tried the rolled ice cream and my friend, now business partner, said, “Hey maybe we can make even better tasting ice cream with this concept?”

We came back to Atlanta and started making cream from scratch. We want to see if we can capitalize on this concept of no-freezer ice cream by using fresh ingredients available. The first round of batches weren’t rolling well, and we were trying to make sure our ice cream has a creamy texture as well as tasting delicious. We tested our ice cream with our friends and family. With their constructive feedbacks, we gained the confidence to put our products out there to our local customers.

We did not want to settle for the cream mix that was readily available for anyone who wants to open an ice cream shop. We want to make our own cream, and that it comes from natural and real cream here in Georgia.

Has it been a smooth road?
The first few weeks of opening were quite an adventure. We did not expect the huge turn out during our soft opening. It was also the first time we felt the pressure of making sure the scaling of our cream was consistent to make sure the quality is there. We had a few bad batches in the beginning, but we are able to learn from it and continue to improve our product and our process.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kremo Ice Cream story. Tell us more about the business.
We took a chance with our product here at Kremo Ice Cream that many other rolled ice cream shops doesn’t take. We decided early on that we are going to make homemade ice cream from scratch. We weren’t going to buy the cream mix or ice cream power from a supplier. We want to make sure it’s real and natural dairy. We saw the rolled ice cream concept as an opportunity to make delicious and fresh ice cream. The kind that is not over churned or have been sitting in a freezer way too long.

And we are very proud that we are able to partner with a farm down in South Georgia to deliver us fresh cream to make our ice cream mix.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The rolled ice cream crazed has taken over the country by storm in 2016. Not just in New York or LA. We are going to see a lot more young entrepreneurs opening up shop and expanding in less vibrant cities and suburban strip malls in the coming year. At Kremo, we certainly are looking for ways to move beyond the trend, and to continue serving quality products and providing the experience that our customers are hoping for.

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