What:
Shaved snow in SoFlo? Yes, please. Sharon and Frank Rinaudo just knew that the frozen desserts from Vampire Penguin would be a good match here in the subtropics, so they opened the region’s first franchise in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year.
Sharon Rinaudo says she came across the franchise after her sister opened a Vampire Penguin in Aiken, S.C.
“I enjoyed the product so much that I wanted to bring it to South Florida,” she says. “I thought that children would love to visit and enjoy something different other than ice cream.”
Penguins we get. But shaved ice frozen desserts — at first glance — wouldn’t seem to have much in common with vampires. So what’s with that name?
Paolo San Luis, who is the brand’s co-founder along with brother Leo San Luis, explains: “The name Vampire Penguin came from combining two words that fit our product: Penguin, because of ice and how penguins are usually associated with ice, and Vampire because the product is something out of this world, like something that shouldn’t exist, like a Vampire Penguin. Over time, we started coining the product ‘shaved snow magic,’ describing it as light, fluffy, and creamy.”
The first Vampire Penguin opened in south Sacramento, Calif., in 2013 … on Halloween. Now there are about 27 locations — and plans for five more to debut in 2023.
“We grew up in the Philippines and always loved shaved ice,” San Luis adds. “Over the years, we have experienced different cultural expressions of the dessert and, when coming up with Vampire Penguin, we wanted to combine elements of what we liked in these variations. Particularly, the lightness and fluffiness of Hawaiian ice and the creaminess and flavor consistency of Taiwanese ice, and the presentation of Japanese and Korean ice.”
The eatery can accommodate 16 people inside and has two sidewalk tables that can each seat four people.
Cost:
Prices vary from $7.50 to $9. There are two size options: a regular is 16 ounces and a large is 24 ounces.
Where:
2585 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Information:
754-223-5148; vampirepenguin.com
