Why would a couple of Danes open a Danish ice cream shop in California? That’s akin to an American opening a pizzeria in Rome – insane! Consumers of ice cream by the pint, not just the scoop, Americans are loyal to iconic brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen-Daaz. Is there room on our waffle cone for ice cream from a Scandinavian country known for its health care?
Founded in 2000, Paradis (“Para-dees”) ice cream and sorbet has taken Denmark by storm, now with nearly sixty shops in the country. Amidst the explosion, Danish siblings Mark and Mia Pedersen approached the company with hopes to open a franchise in California. Given the green light in 2009, they flew to the U.S. and drove all over the Southland, finding a perfect location in nearby Montrose, just north of Glendale.
“Danish ice cream? What’s that? Sounds weird … .” It took some time for Americans to warm up to the chilly goodness of Paradis; however, Mark and Mia persevered, scooping up classics like Vanilla Bean and Chocolate alongside Danish favorites like Strawberry Buttermilk and Elderflower sorbet. With stellar personalities and amazing ice cream, Mark and Mia have enchanted Montrose and are now opening a second store in Monrovia which is scheduled to open in early July.
So how did they do it?
It’s simple: freshness. Like freshly baked bread at a local bakery, Paradis only serves ice cream and sorbet made that very same day: no cardboard cartons, no plastic containers. To top things off, fruit flavors are made with fresh whole fruit, often inspired by seasonal favorites, like summer peaches and autumn apples. Not to be upstaged, non-fruit flavors boast premium ingredients like Sicilian pistachios and Madagascar vanilla. On the flip side, what you won’t find in Paradis ice cream and sorbets is equally impressive: no funky chemicals nor globs of cream, just honest ingredients that satisfy one’s craving without a fat-induced coma.
Truth be told, the arrival of Paradis in Monrovia is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the best ice cream in Los Angeles is now available on Myrtle Avenue; on the other hand, Paradis sets the bar so high that frozen yogurt made from cartons of goop and ice cream trucked to the grocery store won’t taste as good anymore. But that’s no problem, since Paradis makes ice cream and sorbet fresh, every day. (Psst: they’ve got great coffee too!)