M:
We are so excited to share this week’s #411Friday with y’all! We headed down to St. Armands Circle in Sarasota to make a stop at one of our personal favorites…Carousel’s Icery!
E:
Today’s #411Friday is one of my personal favorites so far! With many flavors, toppings, combination and sizes- Carousel’s offers something the whole family can enjoy.
Yes- the WHOLE family! Even for you, my fellow dairy-free person in the bunch! Carousel’s has figured a way to create a delicious and dairy-free cool treat that leaves you dreaming of your next visit around the Carousel!
M:
In addition to their St. Armand’s store location, Carousel’s currently owns a food truck & has big plans to expand their mobile business in the near future. They travel to schools, organizations, sports tournaments, events, & more! We have caught them on the road in the past at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch.
E:
If you are interested in having one of Carousel’s food trucks come to your event, you can reach out to them here. I promise whether you visit a truck on the road or the storefront location, you won’t be disappointed by your flavor of choice or the friendly staff who greet you with a smile and a sample!
M:
This past weekend, we sat down with with one of the owners of Carousel’s Icery, Matt Nunn. He shared both tasty treats & some great information about what’s up & coming at Carousel’s.
1. Introduce yourself! How long have you been running Carousel’s Icery?
I’m Matt Nunn. Adventurous, curious, vagabond (though I’m hoping to stay in Sarasota for many years to come). Over the last 17 years I’ve lived in 10 cities, 4 states and 2 countries.
I’ve been involved with a handful of startup companies during that time as well. I am passionate about continuously learning, especially when it comes to the kingdom of God, business, fitness, nutrition, and brain science.
My business partner, Corey Curyto, and I met in Orlando, FL and started discussing this business concept. We’ve been working on it for over 2 years and finally opened our doors on Dec. 7th 2018. We finished our first food truck in March 2019.
2. What is the inspiration behind Carousel’s?
Everyday should be summer. On the beaches of New Jersey. In 1871. Long wooden planks. Nailed together one by one. Until America’s most iconic summertime escape came together for miles up and down the Jersey Coast – creating the historic, yet timeless Boardwalk. And the very first attraction built on the boardwalk? A carousel. Simple. Enchanting. An experience of color, happiness and togetherness.
And this place is where we come from too. Our family-recipe- blended and served from a counter top along The Boardwalk. More than 20 years ago. And today, that’s still our recipe. Our source of inspiration. Forming the foundation for our desire to share the flavors and family-fun of summer with you. In your neighborhood. All year long. Here with us. At Carousel’s.
Corey’s father, Tom, figured out how to re-engineer soft serve ice cream machines and put his Italian ice recipe through them. Due to the unique recipe and process, his product and company, Polish Water Ice, was born. They’ve been doing that business for over 20 years and have 20 stores. Corey and I wanted to take the great product that his dad created and re-brand it and franchise nationwide.
We believe that the product is great enough to be in every city in this country and beyond.
3. How did location play into account as you decided to serve your soft serve ice?
The part of the process that took the longest was finding the right spot. We were looking in Orlando (where we lived before we moved to Sarasota in Sept. 2018) as well as beach towns.
Corey was familiar with the Sarasota island spots so we came to check out some spots on St. Armands. It didn’t take any convincing to have me move here.
4. What is your favorite soft serve flavor? Which flavors are the top sellers?
Mango. Especially, the Mango Gelati, which is half Mango soft serve ice and half soft serve vanilla ice cream. However, as the weather gets warmer I really enjoy the Lemon by itself or the Cherry/Lemon combo.
5. What makes Carousel’s unique?
Welcome to the first and finest icery in the world. What is an icery? Simple. Instead of typical ice cream or Italian ice, Carousel’s Soft Serve Icery swirls up a family secret recipe of fruity, frozen ice with a creamy texture and a condensed tidal wave of flavor. Without the fat and calories of dairy treats. But, the real magic in Carousel’s comes with people – the ones who work with us and in the community around us. We blend it all together. Happiness. Charity. Honesty. Togetherness. Love. And the result is so yummy, you’re sure to come back around. And around. And around.
6. You’ve been all around the country – What is your favorite part of living in the 941?
So far, I’ve enjoyed the arts community here. I like theater and have seen a few shows already with more to come.
I also really like having a short commute from my home to St. Armands (or any of the other islands) as well as to other spots around town.
Winters in Sarasota sure do beat winters in Michigan (where I was born and raised).
M:
We are big fans of the 941 weather & wouldn’t have it any other way! The summer sun is a perfect match with a Mango Gelati (my personal flavor of choice)!
Be on the lookout for a Carousel’s Icery Giveaway on Instagram and Facebook next week. We want to give you all (our 941 family) an opportunity to try the delicious soft serve ice we love!
