These first few days of summer have certainly been something to savour for a couple of hardworking young Calgarians.
Cousins Anita Ly and Tiffany To are serving up something sweet while carrying on a long family tradition.
Ly and To have just opened up Milk Ice Cream Club, a new specialty ice cream shop in Calgary’s Crescent Heights neighbourhood.
“We always wanted to open up our own business, since we were kids, “ To said. “So this is really a dream come true.”
Both women already had a wide range of experience in food service.
“Our whole family grew up in the restaurant industry,” Ly said.
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After working for years helping prepare and serve food, Ly went on to complete a university education program, qualifying to be a teacher. To also went to university, becoming a nurse. But both were drawn to the family tradition of food service.
“We learned a lot from them – a whole other level of hard work,” Ly said. “They really inspire us.”
Ly and To began developing their Asian-inspired ice cream flavours in 2016, selling them out of John’s Breakfast & Lunch, the family restaurant in Calgary’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
“This ice cream is pandan flavour, a southeast Asian vanilla,” Ly said. “Inspired by our roots, our parents being from Vietnam.”
The cousins gradually built up their ice cream business, facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was kind of scary, because we didn’t know which direction the pandemic would take our little business,” Ly said. “But when everyone started working from home, we started getting a lot of orders in.”
Their family has enjoyed watching Ly and To develop their ice flavours and a customer base.
“They work hard and we’re proud of them,” Ly’s mom Wendy Ly said. “They do a very good job.”
Ly and To said they’ve been getting a good response since opening Milk Ice Cream Club in mid-June 2023.
“We’re just really lucky to have the support of so many local Calgarians,” To said. “We’re so happy about that – this is like our baby.”
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