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“Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.�

-Anonymous

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The Best and Worst of Fast Food Desserts

by Connor Stogner

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Letter from the Editors

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Table o fC

Table of Contents

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The Controvery Behind Fast Food

by Connor Stogner

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by Ren McScoggin

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The World of a Pastry Chef

Asian Desserts in Austin

by Lily Hook

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Top 10 Best Places to Get Asian Dessert in Austin

by Lily Hook

Here's the Scoop!

by Mazzi Berson

Fun Things to Eat with Your Ice Cream

by Mazzi Berson

Tools to Keep in the Kitchen When You Bake

by Ren McScoggin

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Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, As Chef Edward Lee said, “desert is like a feel-good song, and the best ones make you dance.” When creating this magazine we tried to embrace this philosophy by showing our love of desserts, and how they affect the culture of the city around us. We explored everything from large scale fast food desserts to local pastry shops, to create an all inclusive picture of Austin’s desserts. Our mission when creating this magazine was to document, photograph, and enjoy Austin’s wide selection of amazing desserts. We hope you enjoy the magazine, and go out and try all the wonderful desserts this city has to offer!

From, Connor, Ren, Lily, and Mazzi

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ConnorConnor lives in Austin Texas with his 7 cats and 3 turtles. He loves desserts and will stop at nothing for a Dairy Queen blizard. He has enjoyed working on a project that highlights his passion of sweet treats.

RenRen (also) lives in Austin Texas with her dog, Sammy and her family. She loves pumpkin pie and she wants to be a pastry chef when she grows up.

LilyLily lives in Austin with her two dogs. She loves chocolate cake, but also enjoys tasting many other types unique desserts.

MazziMazzi lives in Austin Texas with her two dogs. She loves ice cream, and has really enjoyed trying out all the diffrent ice cream shops in Austin.

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The Best And Worst of Fast Food 1. Wendy’s Frosty: 5 2. Taco Bell’s Cinnamon Twist: 4.8 3. Jack In the Box’s Chocolate Overload Cake: 4.6 4. Sonic’s Cinnabon Bites: 4.5 5. Popeye’s Hand Pies: 4.5 6. McDonald’s Apple Pie: 4.3 7. Sonic’s Green Apple Slush: 4.0 8. Burger King’s Caramel Sunday: 3.5 9. Arby’s Chocolate Turnover: 3.0 10. Taco Bell’s Caramel Apple Empanada: 2.5 Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018 | 9

The Controversy Behind Fast-Food

By Connor Stogner

The ingredients that go into your favorite milkshake may make you want to rethink your midnight trip to McDonald’s.

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ften times, when people hear “fastfood” they think of quick, easy and cheap food. For a lot of people, a cold milkshake from McDonald’s is just the thing they need after a long hot day. Or, in the winter months a warm cinnamon twist from Jack in the Box feels like the perfect thing to eat in such freezing temperatures. Although these things seem amazing, nobody really takes the time to think about the story behind that milkshake or cinnamon twist. There are often many unknown chemicals that these customers could be putting into their bodies without even realizing.

Desserts from fast food restaurants are an instant go-to for certain people due to their cheap price. For those on a budget, choosing fast food

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over a healthy nutritious meal is often a must.

Because of this, people often don’t take a look at the calorie count of each dessert, only caring about how much money the are saving. Due to this, many people become oblivious to how unhealthy their meal really is. The cheapness of fast food is one of the main reasons for obesity in America.

Over the past couple decades, fast-food desserts have come a long way. One of the most notable changes would be the increase in serving size of each dessert.

Today, there are very little healthy options for desserts at fast food restaurants. With the exception of a basic raisin cookie or a extra small milkshake, most options on a fast food dessert menu exceed the recommended number of calories for one person. In

1998, the average calorie count for a dessert item at fast food restaurants was, 390. However this number has changed dramatically throughout the past 20 years.

By 2010, this number had risen to 502, which is a pretty dramatic increase for just 12 years.

“I’ve been working here for almost four years and it’s kind of ridiculous how much bigger the cups have gotten in just four years.” said Max Butler, a cashier at Jack In The Box. This rise in calorie count was most significant at McDonald’s with Jack in the Box being a close second. This increase was a dramatic effort to keep the amount of sales growing. Surely enough, it worked. By using more decadent desserts with a similar price, customers were very happy. The price was the same, but

One of the healthiest dessert options at McDonalds, the Oatmeal Rasin Cookie, courtesy of wikipedia. the taste was much more delicious.

One possible reason for this increase in calorie count could be attributed to new dessert options that are presented every couple of months at these restaurants. For example, at Dairy Queen, a new blizzard (see photo above) is presented every month.

The sales of these Blizzards are recorded and the Blizzards that tend to sell well remain on the permanent menu while the Blizzards that don’t sell as much, disappear. It should come as no surprise that the Blizzards that taste better get put on the permanent menu, it’s unfortunate, however, that these Blizzards tend to be the ones with the highest

calorie count. As each new option is presented at these fast food restaurants, the higher calorie desserts tend to stick around and sometimes replace the lower calorie desserts.

“Since I started working here, there have been so many changes on the dessert menu” said Eli Becher, a cashier at Taco Bell “I think they update the dessert menu almost every month.

Some of the basic and less decadent desserts have gone away. The most popular option by far are the cinnamon twists (see image below), I would say it least 11 or 12 people order them in just the 4 hour shifts that I work.”

New dessert items that are presented at

every fast food restaurant tend to be an increase in calorie size in comparison to the other desserts on the menu.

One can conclude that when this process is repeated, the overall average calorie count will increase. This explains why calorie count has been gradually increasing every year by a significant amount and why there has been such a wide gap between the 1998 and the amount of calories in a meal in 2010.

Even worse, is that customers don’t seem to notice the increase in calories they are consuming just by eating a quick dessert. It’s hard to pinpoint the right amount of calories that should be in one dessert, but it is known that a healthy amount of caloric intake per meal is 650700 calories.

The number of calories in an average fast food dessert item can range anywhere from 300-1200 calories. Even if one were to order a dessert that has a relatively low calorie count, they would still be consuming half the recommended amount with just this dessert alone.

Additionally, there is a whole meal that is normally eaten before the Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018 | 11

The chocolate frosty is a popular but unhealthy option at Wendy’s, courtesy of Wikapedia

restaurant, there is a good chance that you will be consuming double or even triple the recommended number of calories.

According to Nathaniel Steed, a cashier at Dairy Queen, the large option for a blizzard is by far the most popular option.

One large Blizzard is equivalent to just about 1200 calories depending on what type of blizzard it is. This is almost double the recommended calorie intake for one meal.

“It’s kind of sad actually” said Nathaniel Steed “There are at least 10 or 15 people a day that will come in and order the large blizzard just because it’s cheap or because there is a good deal on it. I know I

Although it may look delicious, this order of Cinammon Twists from Taco Bell is actually loaded with calories.

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One of the most popular options at Dairy Queen, the large Blizzard, is absolutely packed with calories.

should expect this because I work at a fast food restaurant, but I really wish that customers had a better understanding of just how much calories go into these large Blizzards.

Awareness is definitely the main problem.� This is not only the case for Dairy Queen Blizzard, desserts from all over the country are gradually increasing in serving size while customers become less and less aware of just how many calories they are intaking.

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Baking Tools That You Should Always Keep In the Kitchen Icing Spatula Having an Icing spatula is very important because you use it for all aspects of spreading, scraping and flipping. It is very helpful to have when baking cakes because you use it heavily for the icing process.

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Stand Mixer Stand mixers can be rather expensive, but it will end up being worth it. Having a stand mixer saves you so much time when you are mixing, whipping and kneading different batters and doughs.

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Balloon Whisk

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A baloon whisk is essential for wipping air into almost anything. This can include cream, eggwites or even mayonaise. A balloon wisk is very important and crucial tool to have around the kitchen at all times.

Measuring Spoons Measuring spoons are one of the most essential tools that every baker 100% needs to g n i have. You will use them r u s a constantly e M for everything.

Measuring spoons primary purpose is to measure out ingredients.

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The World of a Pastry Chef A first-hand account of the hidden lives of bakers and pastry chefs.

By: Ren McScoggin

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and exhausting than you might think.

There are many pastry chefs around Austin that work in various restaurants and bakeries. The baking industry is incredibly large and in high demand due to how much humans enjoy sugar and carbohydrates. Pastry chefs and bakers are a surprisingly large working group who lead surprisingly secret lives that are completely devoted to their profession. Baking is a highly physical and precise career path to follow, and it takes a

large amount of skill and experience. It may seem easy, but being a pastry chef is quite challenging.

Alyce Shields is the head pastry chef at Dai Due, a fancy

Alyce Sheilds is the head pastery chef at Dai Due

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e all love desserts, don’t try to deny it, but what we don’t often think about are the people who make them.

When it comes to being a modern-day pastry chef, it’s not all just standing around decorating cookies or icing fancy cakes. Many people like to bake at home, but it’s different when you’re in a restaurant or bakery where everything moves fast and you need to move quickly to stay on schedule. The life of a baker is much more intense

explained.

“We produce all the bread which is like the basis of a lot of the menu items,” Shields said. The restaurant opens around 11:00 a.m. and the bakers and butchers take turns managing the check-out for the small shop where custom. As the afternoon progresses, Daghini and Shields move on to preparing desserts and pastries for the Rassberry Glazed Donut made by Dai Due. Courtesy of Parham Daghini.

So u ue rdo . C ug ou h b rte re sy ad of m Al ade yc b eS y he Da ild i s

ovens.

I sat across from Shields on a Saturday afternoon at Dai Due to interview her about her job and lifestyle. The restaurant was busy all around us. You could hear butchers chopping meat, sizzling flames, line cooks calling out to each other and customers chatting. Shields described her daily routine and the ways that her job is such a big part of her life. “[When I wake up] it’s still dark out, there’s not a lot of people on the roads, it sort of feels like you’re the only person awake,” Shields said.

The bakers are always the first people there in the morning. “We sort of hit the ground running,” she explained.

They have to take care of a lot before the restaurant opens.

As one of Dai Due’s head chefs, Shields is responsible for a large amount of work and is supported by her sous chef, Parham Daghini. He is her main assistant and helps her with

everything she does. When I interviewed Daghini he described a similar scene.

“We kind of have to get the restaurant going,” he said.

As soon as they can, they begin to make doughs for the breads that they will bake that morning.

Most breads and desserts are made to use the next day so that they are ready to be served out of the walk-in refrigerator when they are ordered. The first half of the day is all bread. Shields and Daghini whip out sourdough, rye, and brioche loaves--even hamburger buns, pretzels and flatbreads. “There’s never a service where they don’t use our products,” Daghini D

butcher shop and supper club on the east side of Austin that is a nationally recognized local destination due to their famously delicious meat dishes and artisan breads. They have an airy, exposed kitchen with open-flame roasting fires and large

Parham Daghini is the pastry sous chef at Dai Due

dinner service and the next day. The desserts on the menu include everything from cobblers, tarts and cake dishes to sorbets and custards.

Working in this kitchen is very difficult for several different reasons.

Daghini and Shields have 8-hour shifts where they constantly stay on their feet.

The work is very demanding and they have to move around a lot and focus on what they are doing so they don’t get behind. “It’s a really physically hard job and Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018 | 17

Brittany Hudson is the pastery chef at Enoteca

“I work from around five in the morning all day till four or five in the evening, so it’s a 12hour workday, but I love it.”

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there’s a lot of downsides so you really have to love what you do to work in a kitchen,” Shields says. She admits that she will not be in this job for good. “ I know that I want to stay in the food industry and work with food in some capacity, but personally I feel like when you reach a certain age, this job is really grueling.”

Luckily, Shields and Daghini both are very committed and passionate enough about baking to stick with it. This type of job is definitely not for people who give up when things get rough.

Brittany Hudson is the head pastry chef at Enoteca and Vespaio, an Italian bistro and deluxe restaurant on South Congress Ave. in central Austin.

Enoteca primarily serves traditional Italian dishes and offers a wide selection of pastries, mousses, and cakes.

Vespaio is an elegant Italian fine-dining destination that serves more ornate, intricate dishes. Brittany manages the pastry department at both eateries and she is in charge of a large staff for the two restaurants.

Sitting at a small table at the quaint Italian bistro, Enoteca, located in central Austin, Hudson revealed her day-to-day duties as their head Pastries made by Brittany HudsonCourtesy of Ren McScogin and Brittany Hudson

pastry chef.

Being in charge of so much, Hudson wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to get to work on time.

“Enoteca is more of the pastry and dessert side, whereas Vespaio is more plated dishes,” Hudson explained, as she doubles as the head pastry chef at Vespaio as well.

Throughout the day, Brittany gets a lot done with the help of her sous chef and her “bread people” who are in charge of making the bread items like baguettes, focaccia, etc. She needs to make a large number of desserts for the restaurants in order to fill up the display and have enough for the menu. “I work from around five in the morning all day till four or five in the evening, so it’s a 12-hour workday, but I love it.”

Hudson had various jobs before she became a pastry chef. She said that she had no idea what she wanted to be, and it took her some time to find her calling. “I’ve done everything from cosmetology, to electrical, but none of that was very fun for me,” Hudson said.

Hudson loves her job, but just like Shields and Daghini, she explained that it’s not easy. When I asked her what advice she would give to aspiring pastry chefs, she said, “Well, it’s going to be really hard, you’re going to cry, but you will get through it and it will be worth it.”

All three bakers say that having this kind of job really takes over your life. Each of them admitted that they were exhausted when they got home from work and that their life

mostly consisted of baking and trying to get enough sleep. “I don’t really do much socially anymore,” said Alyce.

Being a pastry chef is rough and time-consuming, but for these three bakers, it’s worth it. One thing that they all have in common is their love of baking and desserts. They all understand and appreciate what it takes to be a successful baker and make good food. This job is definitely not just fun and games, it’s a real commitment.

The people who can boast this title are strong, independent individuals with a passion for preparing mouth-watering sweets that bring joy to those who taste them.

Bottom right corner: Cheescake, macarons and lemon miraunge tarts made

by Brittany Hudson.

Photos taken by Ren McScoggin and Brittany Hudson.

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Top 10 Best Places to Get Based on Yelp Reviews 2

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Asian Desserts in Austin

by Lily Hook

1. Snowy Village Dessert Cafe

2. SnoMo

3. Mango 8

4. Teapioca Lounge

5. Tea Haus

6. Bambu

7. Thai Fresh

8. Tous les Jours

9. Coco’s Cafe

10. Lucky Bakery 19

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Top 10 Best Places to Get Based on Yelp Reviews

1. Snowy Village Dessert Cafe Location: 6929 Airport Blvd

Focus: South Korean Rating: 4.5/5 Popular Dish: Mango cheesecake bingsu

Location: 11220 N Lamar Blvd Focus: Taiwanese Rating: 4.5/5 Popular Dish: Mango snow ice

3. Mango 8

2. SnoMo

Location: 705 W 24th St Focus: Taiwanese Rating: 4.5/5 Popular Dish: Taro shaved ice

4. Teapioca Lounge

Location: 1700 W Parmer Ln Focus: Taiwanese Rating: 4/5 Popular Dish: Boba madness

5. Tea Haus

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Location: 2525 W Anderson Ln Focus: Taiwanese and South Korean Rating: 4.5/5 Popular Dish: Boba milk tea

Asian Desserts in Austin

by Lily Hook

6. Bambu

Location: 10901 N Lamar Blvd Focus: Vietnamese Rating: 4/5 Popular Dish: Bambu favorite (chè)

Location: 909 W Mary St Focus: Thai Rating: 3.5/5 Popular Dish: Coconut milk ice cream

7. Thai Fresh

8. Tous les Jours

Location: 6808 N Lamar Blvd Focus: South Korean Rating: 4/5 Popular Dish: Kimchi croquette

Location: 8557 Research Blvd Focus: Taiwanese Rating: 4/5 Popular Dish: Green onion pie

9. Coco’s Cafe

10. Lucky Bakery

Location: 8557 Research Blvd Focus: Chinese and Vietnamese Rating: 4.5/5 Popular Dish: Egg tart

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Asian Desserts in Austin

by Lily Hook

How the flavorful dishes of Asian origin came to be in this urban city.

Most cities in America have a sizable variety of dessert shops and bakeries. But, in Austin, there is a massive variety of dessert shops and bakeries—and not

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just American-style treats but savory platters that originate from all of the corners of the world.

From people to architecture to arts to language, Austin’s culture is immensely diverse in numerous ways. The food of Austin is equally as various, each restaurant representing different continents, countries, and cultures world-wide.

Recently, the Asian culture in Austin has become a big part of the city.

Specifically, Asian cuisine, which has grown exceedingly in the past couple of

Taiwanese snow ice at SnoMo.

decades. Before Austin began to grow to what it is today, there were only a select few restaurants that provided Asian cuisine, and even fewer that sold the desserts of the culture. With over 50,000 Asians that live in Austin today, along with those of other races that enjoy Asian eats, there is a high demand for Asian restaurants. Now, there is an assortment of confections, from East Asian countries, such as South Korea and China, to areas closer to the south, such as Thailand and India.

Ted Huang is one of the many business owners that wants to bring this culture to Austin. Huang co-owns the Taiwanese dessert shop Snow Monster, known as SnoMo.

Huang is from Taiwan originally, and he

Viternamese che at Bambu Courtesy of @tieugoodfood on Instagram.

moved to the United States when he was eight. “So, I have backgrounds with both Taiwanese food and American food. And, really, I like both,” said Huang, “Taiwan’s a food country.

They have nine markets where you go in and taste all kind of food. We really wanted to see that in Austin. So, we brought some of those foods over.”

In a metropolitan area with such high diversity, it seems that the

“There’s a lot of Taiwanese people in Austin, and they’re happy to have somewhere they could get the traditional kind of dessert from Taiwan directly in Austin.”

fusion of a multitude of cultures will satisfy the entirety of its consumers, and it does. “There’s a lot of Taiwanese people in Austin,

and they’re happy to have somewhere they could get the traditional kind of dessert from Taiwan directly in Austin,” added Huang.

It’s not just Huang that wants to build on to the uniqueness of Austin. “We want everybody to come in,” said Delilah Gibbons, an employee at the South Korean-inspired dessert shop, Snowy Village Dessert Cafe, “So, we try to be as open as we can be to everybody, because Austin is like ‘Keep Austin Weird’ so we try to keep up with that—bringing Korean culture to Austin.”

This experience of

Thai-style rolled ice cream at Holla Mode Courtesy of @fatandhappy.atx on Instagram.

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“You end up working with the full range of society and full range of different types of people at all economic levels, and racial backgrounds, and so on and so forth.”

Taiwanese-style waffles at SnoMo. by working here is awesome.”

Because of the rich culture of Austin brought by its individuals and food, it is a desirable location to be. Austin has been growing rapidly over the past few decades. Every year, nearly 25,000 people move to Austin. While this can benefit businesses in the food industry greatly, it can also create challenges. There is great competition, even for joints that dish up Asian desserts in Austin.

Moore has seen lots of the competition in Austin, even from an employee’s perspective.

“In Austin, the thing is, there’s lots of very high quality food and lots of restaurants, there’s always new restaurants and food trucks and stalls and various things that peo26 | Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018

ple make food in,” mentioned Moore, “Plus, there’s established restaurants that have been here a long time. All in all, what that means is that the competition level is very, very high.”

There is range of ways to produce and cater food that has been highly influenced by the growing competition in the food industry. But, recently, the option for food trucks has become a popular choice.

“I think being a brick and mortar store is kind of limiting in terms of our reach,” said Huang “So, my plan for the near future would be getting a food truck so we could participate more in different events around town and cater to more people.”

But the range of sweets

and the communities they are from is not the limit to the diversity in Austin. There is an endless selection of the types of people who are attracted to the Asian desserts in Austin.

“Food is required by people; nutrition is required,” said Moore, “And so, as a result, you end up working with the full range of society and full range of different types of people at all economic levels, and racial backgrounds, and so on and so forth.”

There is a colossal effort to bring cultural diversity to this growing metropolis, but in the end, it’s worth fulfilling the necessities of the customers and the service providers; it’s worth having the vast number of dessert shops and bakeries from places around the entire globe.

Korean-inspired desserts at Tous les Jours. Courtesy of One Fulton Square on Facebook.

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Fun things to eat

with your ice cream

By Mazzi Berson

1)Caramel corn: Caramel corn is especially great on vanilla ice cream!

2)Chocolate magic shell: Chocolate magic shell is good on pretty much any flavor of ice cream, but is the best on soft serve!

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3)Waffle cone bowl: When using waffle cone bowls be sure to fill the bowl with lots of toppings for maximum effect!

Curtesy of poet in the pantry

4)S'mores: Anything with marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and ice cream is going to be great!

5)Ice cream sandwich: Try stacking your cookies; your ice cream sandwich experince is about to get so much better!

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Amy’s classic chalk bord menu. is featured at all of thier Austin locations.

Here’s the Scoop!

By Mazzi Berson

How the ice cream stores in Austin help to build of culture and communit in the city

To some Texans, ice cream means a tub of Bluebell at home. Though there’s nothing wrong with that, the best part of ice cream can be going to the ice cream shop. When exploring local ice cream stores there is a whole range to choose from.

Classic stores like Amy’s Ice Creams have attracted crowds since they first opened, but there are also several new stores offering unique flavors and alternative vegan, gluten-free, and other health-oriented options.

Scoops are the behind the counter employees of an ice cream store, and for them, the community is a big part of the experience, “The community is really nice. I grew up coming here 30 | Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018

with my family and friends.

I live pretty nearby so this has always been a neat little part of my life. Also, I like that it’s local and that everybody knows each other, so it’s fun,” Elana Holt said.

She works at Teo which is a local gelato shop inspired by classic Italian gelato. She is just one of many scoops who hand out taste spoons, scoop and serve the ice cream and keep the store running smoothly.

Each of these stores also offers diverse work opportunities. At places like Spun Ice Cream, which use liquid nitrogen to craft their ice cream, the employees make the ice cream in store and they have more hands-on jobs.

Smaller stores like the Tasty Spoon offer more customer interaction and feedback for a more people-oriented job. However, most of the local ice cream stores in Austin are able to foster a sense of community in both their employees and the customers who come to the stores. “Being a part of the Austin community and having regulars come in, families come in that live in the neighborhood is just a great feeling,” explained John Richardson who is a scoop at the Tasty Spoon. “And so whenever you give them ice cream [it] puts a smile on their face, it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy that part,” Richarson added.

There’s a surprising amount of work that goes

Say yes to Amy’s written of the door of thier store (left) Teo sign under thier gelato counter top right) Teo’s delishious sorbetts are a great dairy free option (bottem right)

into being a scoop. The most important thing is fostering a sense of community between the customers and employees which helps to make the store an inviting, positive place.

And, of course, eating the ice cream is a big part of the job, “being able to try the flavors and being able to make them too is a really fun part. There are so many local businesses in Austin, and so when trying to find a job, it’s really cool to find businesses and owners who are part of the community and who give back to the community. I think that [is] really important,” Holt said.

When working in an

ice cream store, there are two main jobs: the pit boss position, and the scoop. Both of those come with different responsibilities that can shift depending on how crowded the store is. An employee at Amy’s Ice Cream explains how irregular the job can be, but then adds that the one constant is the people.

Whether it’s regular customers or first-timers, it’s the people and the sense of community that really make the atmosphere in an ice cream store fun.

Despite not having the nation’s largest population of dairy cows in Texas (Wisconsin is currently in the lead), most of the ice cream stores

in Austin try and support their community in their choice of ingredients. Some stores use products from Italy during their ice cream making process, but many stores try and use fresh fruits and produce from local Texas farms. In addition, these stores support the community by providing a frozen treat anyone can enjoy.

“We try to use for our sorbets, local Texas produce and fruits … we have legit quality stuff and then we have local stuff as well,” Richardson said. With all the variety there is really something for everyone.

“We try to use for our sorbets, local Texas produce Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018 | 31

Amy’s Mexican Vannilla with lot’s of sprinkels!

and fruits … we have legit quality stuff and then we have local stuff as well,” Richardson said. With all the variety there is really something for everyone.

“We have a couple vegan options. We have sorbetos which are made with a water base instead of a milk base, and those are like the rasberry, strawberry, fruits of the forest, all that stuff. Also, all of our flavors are gluten free except for the ones with Oreos,” Holt explained. Having a product that anyone can eat is important to the ice cream community.

Also, Austin is full of stores that experiment with creative flavors, as well as the more basic ice cream 32 | Delectable -- Fall Ezine 2018

shops.

“Try all the flavors you see, and have as many tastes as you want... just try everything. It’s really good ice cream,” Holt said.

To her and the other scoops she works with, customer satisfaction is the most important thing. Ice cream stores want to keep the community happy and bring people together. With this diverse range of options, the whole community can eat and enjoy the ice cream these stores provide.

One of the main goals of an ice cream store is to create a product that tastes amazing and makes customers happy. “Once you start working and eating gelato a

lot you can taste the difference between good and bad ice cream, so, [Teo has] good ice cream!” Holt said.

Each ice cream store in Austin has its own unique background, and sense of individuality that sets it off from the other stores in the city.

Amy’s Ice Creams, which has become a staple in Austin tourism, has been around since the 1980s.

Amy Simmons, the creator of Amy’s, made the store while she was attending the University of Texas here in Austin.

Amy’s tie-dyed T-shirts, ice cream throwing tricks, and creative atmosphere, along with their fun, orig-

inal flavors, have given Amy’s stores a feel found in no other place. Amy’s has become a representative of the community and culture found in Austin. Newer places like The Tasty Spoon have another way of developing community.

The owner of The Tasty Spoon attended school in Italy, and received

“The community is really nice. I grew up coming here with my family and friends. I live pretty nearby so this has always been a neat little part of my life. Also, I like that it’s local and that everybody knows each other, so it’s fun,” an education in gelato.

Though brand new, The Tasty Spoon is already popular, and it has become a place for neighborhood regulars to gather and enjoy delicious Italian-inspired gelato.

“[The Tasty Spoon is] just passion of ice cream. I mean, if you have enough passion and drive to go to Italy and take classes and learn about it, I think that’s where it came from,” Richardson said.

The Tasty Spoon’s Italian roots, and the fact that employees make the ice cream fresh on site everyday help to give the store a unique neighborhood feel.

Teo, another gelato shop that has roots in Italian-inspired ice cream, focuses on giving back to the community.

“We do a lot of charity and we give away our [leftover ice cream] to Keep Austin Fed. We also help give free gelato to kids in A SAFE Place [which is a local shelter],” Holt said. Each year on the 4th of July, Teo hands out free ice cream at the Austin 4th of July parade, from the insulated coolers inside of the Teo truck.

The store’s original owner, Mathew, also made a pilgrimage to Italy looking for the perfect gelato. Teo’s new owner Becca keeps that passion for ice cream alive, which gives the store a special feel.

“Mel, our old gelato maker would come in the

back and our employees would just tell him what flavors they wanted and he would also make his own creative, whatever was on his mind I guess,” Holt said.

The authenticity and flexibility of a small buissness allows for a lot of creativity

“We do a lot of charity and we give away our leftovers to Keep Austin Fed. We also help give free gelato to kids in A SAFE Place” which makes stores like Teo so unique.

Although eating ice cream anywhere can be great, it’s the local community that makes eating at one of Austin’s ice cream stores a unique experience.

Austin’s selection of ice cream stores is completely unique compared to the corporate chain stores found in other cities.The annual Austin Ice Cream Festival, which took place June 3rd this year, is a great time to go get involved and check out all of the great ice cream shops Austin has to offer.

Teo is one of the top five gelato shops in the world

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