Juan Rodríguez, who had always worked in sales-related jobs, remembers that during the summer of 2019 her three youngest children told her that they wanted to sell ‘bolis’ – ice snow – on weekends to have a little extra money.
As a good salesman, he wanted to go a step further and began to look for how to establish a vintage (or more classic) ice cream shop similar to the one he had in his childhood memories.
Rodríguez, who grew up in the city of Carson, said that as a child he accompanied his parents shopping at the Del Amo Mall in Torrance.
She adds that when they were finished, their mother would buy them a popsicle dipped in chocolate and that came with peanuts in pieces or colored sprinkles on top.
“There was always an old lady behind a table making square popsicles and there were only three flavors, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry,” he said. “My mother bought it and we shared it.”
Without the slightest idea of how to make popsicles or ice cream, Rodríguez, from 45 years old, he began to search for information on the internet to start this business, which he initially planned to do only during the summer.
Days later, I already had everything I needed: a table, the ice chest with the vanilla flavored popsicles – which I had previously bought in bulk – a tent and a table with the melted chocolate next to the boxes of ‘toppings’ or whatever you would use to cover them.
The family came to the first event in Wilmington, the area where they currently reside, to a baseball game.
“We were pallets and they were all sold in an hour and a half ”, said the seller. “Apparently that was a memory of more people who also remembered Del Amo Mall.”
Customers not only paid for their pallet but also tipped what they did Very happy to Rodríguez’s children, who were meeting their goal of earning some extra money.
The family business had been a success.
COVID – 19 comes home
Rodríguez said that the family chose the name ‘Dip Deez Paletas’ for the business and that they began to attend ‘pop up’ events such as fairs and tianguis community organizations in different areas of South Los Angeles.
The popularity of his product was so great that Rodríguez was forced to leave his job and dedicate himself fully to the pallet business.
However, early in the 2020 when the COVID pandemic fell – reinvent themselves and began to offer their palettes through social networks. People ordered and they personally made the delivery.
“We started strong but for him 30 in March I was infected with Covid, ”said Rodríguez, who believes that he may have been infected in one of his home deliveries. “I went to sleep and the next day I was very bad.”
The business that was taking off successfully had to be put on hiatus for a month. Although the patriarch of the family was the most serious, they did not rule out that some other member could be infected, so everyone was quarantined.
Fortunately, no one had to be hospitalized.
“When we were cured we reopened everything but this time we changed our delivery to just ‘pick up’ [para recoger] ”, he commented.
It was then, that the family started using applications like Venmo and Zelle to receive payments and limit the contact with customers.
Coupling to the pandemic
On the go Over the months and not seeing the end of the pandemic, the ‘drive by’ or ‘drive thru’ parties began to become popular, where the celebrant stands outside his house on the sidewalk and the guests celebrate it from their vehicles.
To maintain social distance, the guests —without getting out of their cars— usually deliver the gift and in return, the celebrant gives them food or snacks to take away.
This type of party has been so popular that the hosts often hire musicians to play on the sidewalk or, in the case of the Rodríguez family, the pallet table to deliver to the guests.
This entrepreneur comments that they began to be hired for these events in which they also felt safer since there was not so much contact with people.
He added that there came a time when the family had up to six events in one day.
“But that sometimes gives you a lot of stress but as we were adapting, we didn’t know how long we could hold out [en el negocio]”.
Miguel Rodríguez, from 14 years and better known to customers as “Little Dipper”, he has become the face of the business as he often accompanies his father to almost every weekend event.
The teenager said that he likes to see the smiles of the people when he receives his palette and he likes to have the business. He is grateful that his father paid attention to the idea of him and his sisters which has brought them a lot of success.
“I am saving for my university, not yet I know what I’m going to study but maybe something related to business ”, said the minor.
He added that his friends already know him as a businessman who sometimes must put video games aside to go to work. Something that he admits he enjoys a lot.
“Sometimes if I want to play, I’ll stay at home,” he said.
This small company has survived the pandemic and Rodríguez said they are still doing so well that he recently bought a vintage-style truck as well to be able to sell the pallets.
He added that he was proud to know that his business is not only known in Wilmington but also in other areas. Dip Deez Paletas has served clients who live even in the Riverside and Temecula area.
“It is a very nice feeling to know that people like our service ”, he concluded.
You can find the business at: Dip Deez Paletas on Instagram .