TEXARKANA, Texas - Ice cream preparers spread out various mixes onto ice-cold plates as they prepare the signature rolled ice cream for customers. The process is different from what people coming into an ice cream store might expect, but such is the method of rolled ice cream, which Sheba Smith has brought to Texarkana.
"I tried it in Little Rock and fell in love with it," Smith said. "I eventually wanted to open up such a place for myself."
The new 15 Below Rolled Ice Cream, on the Texas side, is the second business run by Smith and her family. The first was Sheba's Family Restaurant in Hope, Arkansas - a southern comfort-food restaurant they have been operating for 14 years. Being from Hope, a small town, Smith decided she wanted to try her second business in a larger city like Texarkana.
"Texarkana is a much bigger market. You do have a lot of food places operating here, including a few ice cream places, so what you need is a different approach, a hook that no one else is offering," she said.
The Smith family began work on the new place on Richmond Road in the plaza between Painting with a Twist and Mooyah Burgers. They originally planned to open in the latter part of the summer, but various delays slowed them down. They finally have opened in time to introduce their ice cream before the hot summer arrives.
"Rolled ice cream is prepared in a different way that allows the customer to tailor the flavor of their ice cream exactly how they want it. You are not limited to a pre-selection of flavors," she said. "Over time, we will be adjusting to what Texarkana seems to favor as well as offering them new things to try."
Smith also mentioned they are hiring, so come in for an application if interested.