David Wright, owner-operator of Pacific Beach Ice Cream Company, came by his trade naturally.
“What got me into ice cream is my parents,” noted Wright, a Delaware native, about his 3-year-old business at 1010 Grand Ave. “They own an award-winning shop in Northern California and got into the business to supplement their income after retiring. They brought good ice cream to the little town where they live in Nevada City.”
Added Wright: “After about 12 years of nagging, I finally decided to learn the business so that I could be a good son. And my mother had it in her head that this would be a business that I would like to get into. And she was right.”
So Wright joined the family ice cream business. On his website at pacificbeachicecreamco.com, he noted his father perfected many homemade recipes over the years that he “inherited” and has brought along with him to PB.
After learning the scoops from his dad, Wright moved back to San Diego to hunt for a prime location for his place. But he was delayed for a time by the pandemic. “In the middle of all that, when there was a little bit of a lull, I went to an ice cream school, The Scoop School just outside St. Louis,” he said. “I was there for a little while just to refine some of the knowledge that my father had given me.”
Finding a smaller spot post-pandemic in PB turned out to be tough, but at the last minute, before waiting another year after winter to break into the ice cream trade, Wright noted, “Lo and behold, there was a for-rent sign on this place that used to be a hair salon.”
On pacificbeachicecreamco.com, it’s also noted that a few of Pacific Beach Ice Cream Company’s favorite recipes include: Dad’s Real Mint Chip, with garden fresh spearmint leaves with rich dark chocolate flakes; the Middle Eastern-inspired Saffron Rose Pistachio; Pear Ginger Sorbet (seasonal), and Chai Coconut (vegan) ice cream. Wright has created his versions of the Italian Ices he had growing up in Delaware.
Pacific Beach Ice Cream Company sells single, double, split, and kid’s scoops, as well as 16-ounce pints. Wright’s specialty items include a triple-thick 20-ounce milkshake with up to three different flavors, along with waffle cones and Jimmies/Sprinkles, which are free for kids.
What’s the key to being successful in the ice cream business? “I’m unique in that I make everything, every one of my ice cream recipes, myself,” answered Wright. “I also directly interact with the customers where a lot of places are store-bought or corporate. You never get to see the person making it.”
Wright pointed out that one of the keys to making quality ice cream is to create a product that “spends the nickel, versus saves the nickel,” putting that money back into the product rather than profit for the benefit of customers.
Another key ingredient to a successful ice cream business, noted Wright, is to “care about the people that you’re actually in the community of. That’s why I help out with different charities, school events, beach and graffiti cleanups, etc.”
Concluded Wright: “I’m not here to take, I’m here to add. That’s a big part of it all. That’s one of the things that’s been missing in a lot of the businesses – human interaction, really just creating a human experience. I built this place for people to spend their money, but more importantly, to enjoy their time. Being an old-school shopkeeper is something I pride myself on.”
PACIFIC BEACH ICE CREAM COMPANY
Where: 1010 Grand Ave.
Info: pacificbeachicecreamco.com.
