A popular Buffalo taco company that started as a food truck six years ago has announced plans to open its second brick-and-mortar restaurant on Hertel Avenue. But the latest project from Lloyd Products isn't another taco shop—it's an ice cream store. Churn is scheduled to open this spring right next door to Lloyd Taco Factory at 1501 Hertel Ave. The "secret project" was unveiled Monday on Lloyd Taco Factory's Facebook page.
Co-owner Peter Cimino says like their successful taco business, the idea for Churn came from a place of nostalgia.
"We decided we wanted to take our other love of our youth and turn that into a new endeavor. It's a brand opportunity that complements what we do at Lloyd perfectly. The same standards and values that we apply to our tacos, we'll also be applying to our ice cream," Cimino told WBFO.
Cimino and co-owner Chris Dorsaneo say Churn's ice cream will be made from scratch and will feature local milk from grass-fed cows using minimal processing. The shop will always have a house-made vanilla and chocolate, along with a rotation of other flavors, and will also feature espresso-based beverages and other confections.
"The typical soft serve everybody's been raised on is really good, but it's not typically good for you. There's a lot of additives and preservatives that go into the standard fare that are not the best for you. We're trying to take all that nonsense and get it out of there and provide the best quality product that we can," said Dorsaneo.
The co-owners have hired Ann Tran, formerly the pastry chef at Aro Bar de Tapas in Williamsville, to run Churn's day-to-day operations. They say the space will feature a "fun, quirky atmosphere, with colorful futuristic design and a bustling open kitchen."
Construction is currently underway. The shop is slated to open the first day of spring. If successful, the company's owners say the brand could eventually be spun off as a food truck.
"There's always something really nostalgic and fundamental about ice cream, from the ice cream truck that goes down the road singing the same old song," added Dorsaneo. "We're trying to play on that and take it up a notch."
There are currently four Lloyd taco trucks roving the streets of Western New York.
WBFO's Michael Mroziak contributed to this report.
