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.
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.”