East Valley Business - 05.09.21

east valley

Volume 3 Issue 43 Mesa, AZ

May 9, 2021

Their chimney cakes wow European tourists

BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor

A

IN THE BIZ

Z Chimney Cakes is serving up a distinctive treat using sweet bread dough.

“The concept is very unique,” explained Kathy Williams, who owns AZ Chimney Cakes at Mesa Riverview with her son, Zaaron Williams, a full-time engineer who runs the business in the evenings and weekends.

“Traditionally, chimney cakes are just hollow cake cylinders. Most recently, probably within the last five to seven years, some of the Eastern European countries have taken Nutella and put that on the outside or inside or both and made it more delightful for tourists,” Williams said.

“It’s very popular. About that same time frame, they thought if they could make it in a cone shape, they could fill it with other things like ice cream.”

While a handful of chimney cake stores exist in the United States, Williams’ is the only one in Arizona.

They opened their first store after Zaaron visited Europe on a business trip four years ago.

“He came across chimney cakes in Prague,” said Williams. “He tried them and could not get them out of his mind.”

They went to work designing and ordering a food trailer in 2017 they’re still operating.

A retired software engineer, Kathy had multiple years of baking experience.

She said they “started out the traditional Public Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2021 East Valley Tribune

AZ Chimney Cakes owners Zaaron Williams and Kathy Williams stand behind employees Diana Thies, left, and Taylor Stevens. (Special to the Tribune) (USPS 004-616) is published weekly

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way like Hungarians, Romanians and people from Slovenia and Bulgaria with the cylinder.”

“We found that Americans aren’t interested in a piece of sweet bread. One day, when we were at an event, I said to Zaaron, ‘You know, I bet it would be really good to try putting fruit or a Bavarian creme inside.’

We tried that and we sold out. And we sold out every time we went out after that.”

Zaaron then suggested making a chimney cake with Oreo creme and the various concoctions grew from there.

“We found that adding strawberries, whipped creme, etc. was very delightful and a very big hit,” Williams explained.

“When we opened a brick-and-mortar store, we tried the ice cream concept.

Now, we do vanilla and chocolate gelato, the Italian ice cream, soft serve. We added a non-dairy option of the Dole pineapple whip this year. We get asked for non-dairy a lot. So, we have three different kinds of soft serve that can go into the cones.”

Zaaron and Kathy originally created the s’mores with graham cracker on the outside with marshmallows, Nutella and chocolate on the inside. They now call it Vienna because there’s one similar at a chimney cakes store in Vienna.

“We’ve done a lot of research,” Williams said. “We’ve watched what other places have done around the world. We can’t emulate everything but we do our best to try and make the dough very original and authentic.

“I think it really shows in tourists who’ve been to Europe and tried them there. They come to our store and say, ‘Oh my goodness. I didn’t think I’d ever taste this taste again.’ That makes us very proud. We have a lot of Hungarian and Romanian customers throughout the valley who travel to our store. They just can’t believe that someone makes these here.”

The sweet bread dough is wrapped on a spit and baked. The outside caramelizes during the baking process which is 750 degrees.

“As it bakes, we sprinkle sugar on the outside as it caramelizes,” said Williams.

“It makes it very sticky on the outside.

That allows it to adhere to something to stick to the outside of the cone. So that’s how we get the cinnamon sugar, the coconut, the walnuts to stick to the outside.”

Each cone and cylinder takes seven min-

utes to make including the baking process of four minutes. But customers don’t have to wait because the shop is “rolling constantly…so we try to minimize the wait.”

The store’s best seller is Barcelona. A big picture of it is on the trailer, front window and inside the store. “People see that and walk in and say, ‘I want that one.’

“It’s a beautiful picture showing vanilla gelato, strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate drizzle on top with a cinnamon sugar cone…People buy with their eyes a lot and if you have something that’s very attractive people will pick that over reading a description.”

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After ordering new equipment from Europe, the owners planned on opening in February 2020 at Mesa Riverview but had to delay until mid-May. On their first anniversary coming up, a “big splash” is being planned.

Information: azchimneycakes.com;

Chimney Cakes

1055 N. Dobson Road, Mesa, Closed Mondays.

480-687-7515

MAY 9, 2021

Shop takes ice cream doughnut treats seriously

BY OLIVIA DOW Tribune Contributor

K

ailey Foxcroft and Brandon Douglas may not agree on the best ice cream-doughnut sandwich flavor, but they agree that customers are the best part of co-owning Mesa’s Novel Ice Cream.

“Honestly, we make an amazing product, don’t get me wrong,” Foxcroft said.

“But what keeps me going is truly our customers, to be able to make a small connection with them and give them some type of joy in part of their day. As easy as it is to say, the customers are honestly what keeps me going and are my favorite part of working and now co-owning an ice cream shop with Brandon.”

Located in Mesa and Phoenix, Novel Ice Cream blends nostalgia, warm doughnut buns and artisan ice cream. It offers two flavors, crispy European waffle sandwiches, glass bottle sodas and cereal sprinkles.

“The idea for an ice cream-stuffed doughnut has been done in other cultures quite a bit,” Douglas said.

“The version in Italy is what drew my attention to it. They were taking brioche buns and stuffing gelato and then that idea made it over to the U.S.” Novel has specialized in ice creamstuffed doughnuts since the Phoenix store opened in March 2017. But, he said, they “take it more seriously than anybody else.”

Douglas has tried the treats in other states, but they were “underwhelming.”

“I felt like it could be done really, really well,” Douglas said. “For a couple of years, I just secretly hoped somebody else in Arizona would do it. But after nobody else did, I decided it must be my calling.”

But there’s more to Novel Ice Cream than doughnuts and ice cream. Douglas said it’s been a place for “people who have been hurt by the world in some way.” People need a sweet escape from the world’s problems.

“Objectively speaking, we’re kind of inundated with bad news a lot and we want it to really be a place where people come in and just feel absolute joy,” Douglas said.

“Food’s just a universal language. When you have something you look forward to for a long time, there are few things that

Brandon Douglas and Kailey Foxcroft think they have a winning combo with their doughnuts stuffed with ice cream. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) will provide that type of escape from your worries. We are probably like a place to eat your emotions, basically,” The Downtown Mesa store is the newest one, having opened in March. The opening of it was a two-year project. For two years, the duo had been working on an East Valley location.

“When we were ready to open a second location, we knew that East Mesa was, or at least the East Valley, is where we wanted to go,” Foxcroft said.

“I grew up out in East Mesa and I’ve always kind of had a heart for Downtown Mesa and it just felt right. One random hot summer day, I just started walking the streets of Main Street and landed at the spot that we’re in. One of our neighbors is actually a customer of ours and so it just really sealed the deal that Mesa is where we needed to be.”

Foxcroft started as an employee for Novel and is now the co-owner of Novel Ice Cream in Mesa. Douglas said Foxcroft’s love for the customers is why they complement each other as owners.

“I don’t want to say ditto, but that’s why

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Kailey was the perfect fit for a business partner for me,” Douglas said.

“She shares that vision. A lot of stuff we talk about sounds really cheesy on a surface level because you can go to the corporate meeting and they’ll talk about family and how important customers are and all this.”

When Douglas and Foxcroft look for employees, they want people who are personable.

“What we do is we hire people who genuinely love people,” Douglas said. “We can teach you how to do everything at our shop, but we can’t teach you to like people. You come in a Novel and you get an experience that literally ruins all other ice cream shops for you because we want to be that bar that we set for you.”

Novel Ice Cream

40 N. Macdonald, Suite 2, Mesa 602.784.4729 1028 NW Grand Ave., Phoenix 602.373.2235

MAY 9, 2021

Public Notice

Public Notice

CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING MONTEREY PARK Project No. CP0914 Please join us for this online live Virtual Public Meeting to learn about the City of Mesa, Monterey Park Sports Fields project. There will be a presentation showing the site layout, four (4) LED lighted sports fields, LED lighted parking lot, landscape, hardscape, irrigation improvements and a shipping container pop-up library with support facilities. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session where you can provide your input or have your questions answered.

This meeting will be specific to this project which is located at 7045 E Monterey Ave at the NE corner of Power Rd. & Guadalupe Rd., in Mesa, AZ. This project was made possible by Mesa voters in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Election.

We hope you register and attend this online Meeting!

You are invited to attend a Virtual Public Meeting where City staff will be available to answer your questions.

Date: Thursday, May 13, 2021 Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm Location: Virtual Public Meeting: online at mesaaz.gov/engineering If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Curt Albright, Michele Arrollado, Lucy Lopez, or Juanita Gonzales with the City of Mesa Engineering Public Relations Department at (480) 644-3800.

Si usted tiene preguntas de este proyecto, favor de llamar a Lucy Lopez, con la Ciudad de Mesa al (480) 644-4431.

Published: East Valley Tribune, May 2, 9, 2021 / 37

CITY OF MESA PUBLIC NOTICE The Mesa City Council will hold a public hearing concerning the following ordinances at the May 17, 2021 City Council meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the Mesa City Council Chambers, 57 East First Street.

1. Amending Title 5 of the Mesa City Code (Business Regulations) by adding a new Chapter 4, entitled “Mobile Food Vendors”, enacting reason-able regulations and licensing requirements on mobile food vendors and mobile food units operating in Mesa. (Citywide) 2. Amending Title 5 of the Mesa City Code (Business Regulations) by repealing Chapter 8, entitled “Peddlers, Solicitors, and Transient Merchants”, in its entirety and replacing it with a new Chapter 8, entitled “Peddlers and Solicitors”, clarifying the regulations and licensing requirements for peddlers and solicitors operating in Mesa including amendments to the processes for applications, violations, revocations and suspensions, and appeals.

(Citywide) 3. Amending Title 5 of the Mesa City Code (Business Regulations) by repealing Chapter 1, entitled “Special Event License”, in its entirety and replacing it with a new Chapter 1, entitled “Special Events”, clarifying the regulations and licensing requirements for special events in Mesa including amendments to the processes for applications, re-vocations, and appeals. (Citywide) DATED at Mesa, Arizona, this 9th day of May 2021. DEE ANN MICKELSEN, City Clerk Published: May 9, 2021 / 38356

an Environmental Assessment for Hunt Highway Improvement Project – Phase 5 The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Pima Agency and the Gila River Indian Community (Community) are releasing this notice in support of an environmental assessment for the proposed Hunt Highway Improvement Project – Phase 5 (project) in District One of the Community. The project would include roadway improvements along portions of Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road.

The project proponent, Pinal County Public Works Department, has submitted a right-of-way (ROW) application to the BIA for roadway improvements on Hunt High-way and Arizona Farms Road, which would constitute the final phase of the Hunt Highway Improvement Project.

Primary project components would include acquiring approximately 19 acres of new permanent roadway ROW, realigning the western terminus of the existing Arizona Farms Road, widening approximately 4,200 feet of existing Hunt Highway to match the newly reconstructed road-way dimensions both north and south of the project area, and installing a new light-controlled intersection at Hunt Highway and the realigned Arizona Farms Road.

Project construction is anticipated to begin in January 2022 to January 2023 and will be completed in approximately 8 months. No traffic detours would be required. Traffic delays would be short-term and temporary. The grant of easement for ROW, if approved by BIA, would formalize the alignments for both Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road within the Community.

The purpose of the project is for Pinal County to complete the final phase of their planned improvements along the Hunt Highway corridor, through the widening of the exist-ing Hunt

Public Notice Notice of Public Scoping for

Highway alignment and the realignment of Arizona Farms Road.

Hunt Highway both north and south of the project area have been improved and widened to four lanes; however, the older roadway within the project area is only two lanes. The lane reduction in the project area presents a potential safety concern for existing vehicle traffic on Hunt Highway. The project would widen Hunt Highway through the project area to match the new roadway and lane configurations to both the north and south. Additionally, the Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road intersection currently presents line-of-sight safety concerns for drivers on Arizona Farms Road. The project would re-align this traffic intersection and replace the stop-con-trolled intersection with a traffic light to improve traffic flow and safety.

As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal agencies are required to consider the potential social and environmental impacts of proposed actions. This letter serves as the BIA’s invitation for comments, concerns, or suggestions regarding the proposed action. All comments received become part of the public record associated with this proposed action. Accordingly, your comments (including your name and address) will be available for review by any person that wishes to view the record. At your request, we will withhold your contact information to the extent allowed by the Freedom of Information Act. Please submit comments to: Cecilia Baker, Superintendent Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pima Agency P.O. Box 8 Sacaton, Arizona 85147 Telephone: (520) 562-3326 Email: Cecilia.Baker@bia.gov Published: East Valley Tribune May 9, 16, 23, 30, 2021 / 37928

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EAST VALLEY BUSINESS

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MAY 9, 2021

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