A Homewood husband and wife have given a Southern accent to a treat that’s more well known up north than down south.
Birmingham native David Shaw and his wife, Wani, who’s from West Africa, met in Washington, D.C., and also lived in Delaware. That’s when they discovered Italian ice, they said.
“It’s as popular there as iced tea is in the South,” Wani said.
Italian ice is a frozen dessert usually made with fresh fruit or fruit puree, natural stabilizers like citric acid, and filtered water. It’s sometimes called water ice, Wani said.
Although there’s no milk in Italian ice, the consistency is more like ice cream than like shaved ice, snow cones or Popsicles – so much so that it’s served with an ice cream scoop, she said.
David said the Birmingham area’s hot weather is “perfect for Italian ice.”
“We were in Chattanooga and saw an Italian ice store there,” he said. “We checked into getting a franchise, but the cost was out of our price range.”
The couple looked for a less expensive way to start a business.
“We thought, how can we do this in pennies?” Wani said. “We got a mobile cart, found a supplier and started last June.”
Magic City Sweet Ice started with the Shaws selling their treats from their pushcart last June 21 at the Woodlawn Street Market. They’ve taken the cart to places like the West Homewood Farmer’s Market, Birmingham’s Sidewalk Film Festival, Trucks by the Tracks at Railroad Park, and Homewood’s annual July 4th celebration.
“People would say, ‘You should open a store,’” Wani said.
So they did.
Magic City Sweet Ice opened April 4 in West Homewood across from Patriot Park.
“Jelly’s Café was here forever, but this building had been vacant for a while,” Wani said.
The store’s location across from the park is a plus, the couple said. Their business also is conveniently close to Hall-Kent Elementary, where their children – 11-year-old Emily, 10-year-old Monah and Ian, 8 – go to school.
“Homewood residents have been so incredibly welcoming,” Wani said. “They’re very social. They were glad to see something happening here again.”
Their store has a striped awning and a covered patio with a porch swing, tables and games. Dogs as well as people are welcome there, the couple said.
“We’re even going to have water bowls outside during the summer,” David said.
Inside, the eating and serving areas are painted in lively colors. But the big attraction is the Italian ice, in equally bright colors and an assortment of flavors.
“The process of making this is similar to ice cream.,” Wani said. “There’s no dairy, so the process is longer. But you use the same type of machinery.”
David said flavors are blended in while the Italian ice is being made.
“They’re not just poured over the top, so you get consistent flavor throughout,” he said.
Although all Italian ice has a creamy consistency, different fruits yield slightly different results, he said.
“Lime will be less creamy than mango or passion fruit, because those fruits have more ‘meat,’” he said.
Magic City Sweet Ice is sold by the cup, and customers can combine flavors for no extra charge, Wani said.
“Kids love mixing up flavors,” David said.
Flavors change at least once a week, he said.
“But we always try to have mango, Fudgsicle – which tastes like the real thing – and salted caramel,” he said.
Some flavors have been surprise hits.
“Bubblegum and cotton candy have been good sellers,” David said.
Wani said their Italian ice is “cheaper than ice cream.”
“Our serving sizes are 6, 8 and 10 ounces and cost from $2 to $5,” she said. “And you get at least an extra half-cup when we scoop it up.”
Magic City Sweet Ice has four sugar-free flavors. Their Italian ice starts at 15 calories an ounce and go up, Wani said.
The Shaws said they love being a part of the West Homewood community.
“The city’s starting to put money into this area,” Wani said. “There are going to be decorative streetlights, paving and more parking spaces. Several city council members have already stopped by our store.”
Right now, Wani usually is at the shop while David handles the pushcart gigs. Since opening their store, they’ve already booked birthday parties, school events with Hall-Kent and events with churches, the Shaws said.
“We want to become a dessert shop,” Wani said. “We’re looking to have Italian sodas and gelato.”
The couple also is working with a local baker, David said.
They plan to add extra help by hiring high school and college students, Wani said.
“We want to get others to start their own businesses,” she said. “You can have a pushcart and don’t have to own a store. You can work on the weekends. Most Saturday events yield as much as a week’s pay, and it’s not even a full day.”
The Shaws said they plan to help interested employees jumpstart their own Italian ice ventures through a training program they call Be Your Own Boss.
While Wani wasn’t raised in Alabama’s crazy-for-college-football atmosphere, she’s learning quickly. A future menu item will have an Alabama-Auburn theme, she said.
“We’re going to have a House Divided flavor with cherry-lemon and blueberry-tangerine,” she said. “I saw those ‘House Divided’ signs in yards and thought they were so neat.”
Magic City Sweet Ice is at 715 Oak Grove Road in Homewood. It’s open Monday-Friday from 1-8 p.m., Saturdays from noon-8 p.m. and Sundays from 2:30-8 p.m. For more information, visit www.magiccitysweetice.com, call 907-2125 or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ϖ
