MELROSE—On Saturday, June 20, Happy Ice will be opening its first storefront location at 7324 Melrose Avenue.
Happy Ice was founded in 2017 by Lemeir Mitchell, who started off his business in a food truck on Melrose.
According to VegWorld Magazine, Mitchell stated, “So many different races bring a piece of their hometown to Los Angeles, and that is what sparked my idea for creating Happy Ice. I didn’t create Happy Ice just for business reasons, I created Happy Ice because I was a consumer myself.”
He added, “Happiness is universal – there’s a word for it in every language. I want to help create that feeling for people worldwide, so the name Happy Ice fit perfectly. I want Happy Ice to be a symbol of unity and a better future—our vision is for this shop to be a place of peace, happiness and laughter. We aren’t just out here to sell a product, we are delivering happiness in a cup, and we are so excited to welcome Angelenos into our doors.”
Mitchell’s store didn’t get destroyed during the protests that occurred on Melrose on May 31, even though the store right next to him did. Mitchell asked his followers on Instagram to spread awareness that his store is black-owned and to avoid the storefront.
He stated, “This storefront was built from scratch. It would kill me if this building goes up in flames. I stand for equality and justice. I’ve been abused and harassed by the police my whole life so I’m apart of what we are protesting for. While protesting don’t destroy my property please.”
Since its founding in 2017, Happy Ice has risen tremendously in popularity, with celebrity customers including Angelina Jolie and Post Malone.
In 2018, Ted Foxman invested nearly $1 million into Happy Ice which expanded the company significantly.
On its opening on June 20, Happy Ice will be featuring new, limited edition flavors including Cotton Candy Crush, Strawberry Banana Lush, and Vegan soft serve.
Before their opening on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth, the day slavery was abolished in the United States, the store will also serve Black Ice flavors for $5. 100% of the profits on this day will be donated to Black charities.
