Serving Up Success: Kapow Ice Cream and Popsicles
Products: Handmade ice cream and popsicles
Where can you find them at GFM: Saturdays at the Market (May-Sept) + Thursday September 7 as part of the Thursday Pop-up!
Customers’ most loved products: Vanilla Crackle Ice Cream, Strawberry lemonade popsicles, London fog ice cream, Mango pineapple mint popsicles
Connect: www.kapowicecream.com, @kapowicecream.guelph
Kapow Ice Cream is a locally operated small business based in Guelph, Ontario making distinctive handcrafted small batch ice cream and popsicles. Since 2021, owner Pao Ming Lee has been serving up their sweet treats all around Guelph on a mobile trike.
Pao’s inspiration for Kapow came from their love and appreciation of many things: the outdoors, biking, sweet treats and community connections!
Pao Ming Lee, Owner of Kapow“Food is my love language and I love to share my creations with people and connect with them through that.”
Crafted with care, Kapow’s products incorporate fresh fruits, some sourced locally, to enhance their flavor while minimizing the use of added sugar.
Typically you can see the Kapow trike riding through Downtown Guelph, Royal City Park, Exhibition Park and York Park area. You can also find them participating in local events like Hillside, Art on the Street, in addition to weekly appearances at the Guelph Farmers’ Market (GFM) throughout the summer! Kapow has gained a lot of exposure since they began participating in GFM in 2022. Having a regular spot at the GFM is complementary to their mobile business which has helped establish recurring customers and develop local collaborations.
Pao Ming Lee, Owner of Kapow“The best part about being at the Guelph Farmers’ Market is being around like minded people. I love being surrounded by people who are so talented and passionate about what they do. I treasure the connections with other small business owners and have gotten really good advice and support from them. I also feel like the people who come to the market to support us are aware of and appreciate how much work goes into our craft.“
As a small, but growing business, Kapow is establishing their roots here in Guelph. Kapow sources local ingredients, including peaches from Fruition, a new Thursdays at the Market Vendor. Pao is building the kind of local community connections that inspired the business from the start. Wellington Brewery’s chocolate milk stout is also used to create the coffee stout ice cream. These local flavours are often combined with tea and spices brought back from India by family making unique and delicious treats!
Kapow has been in business for over 2 years now! As a queer, BIPOC entrepreneur with Asian roots, Pao hopes that people, especially kids, will be able to see more diversity and representation in their Guelph community. Since opening their business, Pao has connected with many similar and like-minded business owners, which has helped strengthen their sense of community.
Pao Ming Lee, Owner of Kapow“Once, one kid ran up to me as I was riding away and yelled out “bye, ice cream queen!”. I’ve never felt more accomplished in my life”.
As part of the Guelph Farmers’ Market community, Kapow is helping to make our community more delicious and sustainable! Their unique business model supports work towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
