Lolly’s Ice Cream in Virginia Beach
Ice cream is a quintessential summer treat. In Virginia Beach, particularly by the Oceanfront, I feel like the local ice cream scene is lacking. Sure, you have the big brands like Dairy Queen and Ben & Jerry’s. There’s also frozen custard, frozen yogurt and soft serve, but I’ve been craving more.
Answering the call to my craving is Lolly’s Ice Cream. The Virginia Beach-based, family-owned ice cream shop will have its grand opening this Friday, May 17 at the ViBe District location. Fulfilling the desire for a classic ice cream parlor at the Oceanfront, Lolly’s offers an old-fashion nostalgia, along with creative ice cream flavors.
Lolly’s comes from humble roots in a Virginia Beach factory selling to wholesalers and those in the know. I first learned about Lolly’s in a Coastal Virginia Magazine article. During the summer months, Lolly’s will sell ice cream from an old-fashioned bicycle that rides around Virginia Beach. Delivering to beachgoers and locals, the business quickly grew a following for its delivery style and delicious flavors.
On Wednesday, May 15 I had the pleasure of attending Lolly’s VIP event as my friend’s plus one.
The opening of their ViBe District location would not be possible without the help of their crowd sourcing campaign. Through Kickstarter, Lolly’s was able to raise over $20,000 to open the new business. To reward their benefactors and show some appreciation, Lolly’s had a VIP party with plenty of sweet samples, live music and balloon art at the fun, family-friendly event.
At the start of the evening, Lolly’s owner Joey Launi came out to thank attendees. He let his guests know that in addition to Lolly’s signature ice cream flavors and rotating flavors, the shop would also serve milkshakes, root beer floats and ice cream sundaes. I eagerly watched and waited for my opportunity to pounce when one of Lolly’s employees brought out each sample tray. I threw my lactose intolerance to the wind and prepared to indulge in the dairy offerings.
Lolly’s Ice Cream owner Joey Launi
First were samples of Lolly’s milkshake. Made with their Orange Crush ice cream, the milkshake was the perfect consistency to sip through the paper straw. (Yes, Lolly’s cares about the turtles.) With a taste similar to an orange Creamsicle, this milkshake had me reminiscing on my days visiting Uncle Wiggly’s ice cream shop in Baltimore.
Next up I rushed for the root beer floats. While I stopped drinking soda years ago, root beer has always had a special place in my heart. A sample-sized cup cannot do Lolly’s rich vanilla ice cream justice. I’ll certainly be back for a full serving size float.
Finally, Lolly’s offered a taste of their ice cream sundae. Atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream was Lolly’s signature sauce, strawberry and whipped cream. When he spoke later on, Launi said that this sauce would remain a secret. From the moment I tasted it, I got the velvety taste of caramel and a hint of mocha. I’ll obviously have to order more to properly examine the sauce.
Each attendee also received a card to redeem for one free ice cream. I went back and forth for a while deciding if I wanted to redeem my card then or save it for another day. It should come as no surprise that as soon as I saw other people enjoying full scoops of Lolly’s ice cream, I had to have some too.
I ordered a regular cup size of the Orange Crush. Separate from the milkshake, I was pleasantly surprised by this hard ice cream flavor. In my experience, fruit flavors are either more of a sherbet or come off too sweet. Lolly’s Orange Crush was the perfect blend of rich dairy with more subtle orange notes. The two large scoops hit the spot on the beautiful, sunny evening.
I can’t wait to try more of Lolly’s offerings, from the milkshakes and floats to the hard ice cream flavors. I already have my lips fixed on the Apple Pie, Peach and Mexican Fried Vanilla flavors.
Lolly’s Ice Cream is located at 414 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach.