|
This is a sweet story. Catherine and Gonzalo Aspun met in Bolivia when they were 15. Catherine visited her father there every summer, and Gonzalo was a friend of the family. Soon he became Catherine's friend, exchanging letters with her after she returned to her home in San Jose. They attended San José State University together and fell in love at 18. Mindful of their responsibilities, they waited until 20 to marry.
After graduation, she worked in human resources. He was a quality engineer. Soon they bought a little house in San Jose, and they began raising three children—Vanessa, now 15, Adrian, now 12, and Nicole, now 6. They have stayed in the same little house, paying it off and saving for their dream—to own a creamery in Los Gatos where folks could enjoy ice cream like Gonzalo knew as a child in Bolivia.
They found what they wanted in Coldstone Creamery, an add-your-own "mix-ins," hand-blended ice cream store with national franchises numbering 896 in the United States and Puerto Rico. It was big, but their idea was to make it personal by running it themselves. They had a picture in their minds. It should be in downtown Los Gatos, and it should be filled with kids.
"We had rights to Los Gatos for three years, but had to wait until another eatery closed," Catherine relates. The Aspuns waited. Three years passed. But they kept their options open. At last, a spot opened on Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road. Three months ago, the Aspuns opened their doors right across from Whole Foods Market.
"Five or six people a day express surprise that we're here," says Catherine. The store is hidden behind trees, and some folks confuse the sign proclaiming "Coldstone" as the jewelry store next door. It's a lovely spot, right on a sunken brick patio with a gurgling fountain and benches all around for sitting and licking a big cone on a warm day.
And the place is filled with kids—customers and staff alike. Behind the counter are mostly Los Gatos High School students: Jennifer, Sampson, Sara, Adam, Candace, Leticia, Matthew, Keenan, Erik, Alyssa, Julia and Vanessa, the eldest Aspun daughter.
"We don't interview. We audition," chuckles Catherine, referring to the hiring process. "And they're all outgoing, hardworking kids. We're successful because of them."
Success also might come from the creamy goods they serve. Customers may choose from among 19 flavors of ice cream and as many mix-ins—like crumbled Oreo cookies or a variety of nuts. From 10- to 16-ounce scoops of ice cream are ladled onto a marble counter, where a staff member uses scoops and paddles to blend whatever mix-ins a customer chooses with the ice cream. The staff member then stuffs the mixture into a big waffle cone. Make up your own mix for $3.59. The first mix-in is free, and additional ones are 59 cents each. There also are Coldstone Originals—creamy recipe mixes like Coffee Lovers Only made with coffee ice cream, roasted almonds, Heath bars and caramel. The 10-ounce size is $4.75. Pies and cakes—including custom orders—are made fresh on the premises each day, along with all of the ice cream. There are smoothies and shakes ($3.99) and hand-packed pints, quarts and the Ultimate Bucket—48 ounces for $9.99 including five mix-ins.
"I've been wanting to do this forever," Catherine enthuses. "It's a dream come true."
Coldstone Creamery, located at 16004 Los Gatos Blvd., is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.11 p.m. For more information, call 408.356.8770 or visit http://www.coldstonecreamery.com.
|
Photograph by George Sakkestad