In 2002, now-owner and Chief Richness Officer, Gary Schoen’s, long-time dream of owning an ice cream shop came true. Back in high school Gary worked at Mary Coyle Ice Cream, a gourmet shop that made ice cream with a 16% butterfat mix, in Phoenix, AZ. He loved it and told his guidance counselor that he wanted to own an ice cream shop when he grew up.
Fast-forward to 2001 and the dream was still alive. Gary decided to attend an ice cream making school in North Carolina to study under Luciano Ferrari, a world renown expert in frozen desserts. Gary had planned on opening up his own ice cream parlor, but when Rick’s, a Palo Alto institution, became available in 2002, Gary jumped on the opportunity. He bought Rick’s Ice Cream and immediately got to work. He made operational improvements, spruced up the store with new signs and wall graphics, and added the parlor room to accommodate more eat-in customers year round. And of course, he expanded the selection of flavors further, increasing it to 48 delicious and rich flavors.
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