QuarterlySmr10 final.qxp:Quarterlywtr05 final layout

QuarterlySmr10 final.qxp:Quarterlywtr05 final layout
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Page 46
FOSSELMAN’S TODAY
The Family Tradition Continues
BY CHRISTIAN MCGRAIL
MAKING ICE CREAM USING QUALITY
INGREDIENTS IS A LIFESTYLE FOR
CHRIS FOSSELMAN.
JOHN FOSSELMAN MAKES PREMIUM
ICE CREAM DAILY WITH SCOTT
WIENKE ASSISTING.
C
hris and John Fosselman,
owners of Fosselman’s Ice
Cream Company in Alhambra, know ice cream better than anyone around. The pair of brothers are
continuing the tradition of excellence started by their grandfather in
1919, using the same recipe with only the best ingredients available.
Chris and John are the sons of Bob
Fosselman, nephews of Bill and Jim
Fosselman, and grandsons of
founder Christian Fosselman, and
have been running the Alhambra institution since buying out their uncles and father 25 years ago. Scott
Wienke, grandson of Bill Fosselman,
has recently decided to dedicate
himself full time to being the fourth
generation to carry on the Fosselman’s name.
Fosselman’s lasting success can
be attributed to the fact that they listen to their customers’ comments
and take note of demographic
changes. When a request came in for
taro ice cream, Chris and John had
someone teach them how to cook
and prepare the root, and now they
make tons of it.
In addition to the retail shop they
run in Alhambra, they also have
over 350 wholesale accounts, including country clubs, restaurants, and
hotels, all the way to Malibu and La-
46 THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2010
guna. Their long list of clients includes Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, Gus’s Barbeque and
Buster’s Ice Cream and Coffee Stop,
both in South Pasadena, and Roy’s
Restaurant, which has various locations throughout the Los Angeles
area. When a chef has a special request, Chris and John are more than
willing to accommodate their customers.
Chris was only six years old
when the South Pasadena location
closed. While helping his dad close
up the shop, he recalls finding coins
inside and behind the booths. Having grown up with the business, it is
a lifestyle for him. He was in the
sixth grade when he decided that he
wanted to continue running the
family business. Walking home from
school one day, he saw a neighbor
using a Fosselman’s Ice Cream container to make sun tea. He felt a
sense of pride from seeing his family name in the community and realized his desire to carry on the Fosselman tradition.
The shop’s 85-plus years in business is a testament to the quality
product they make, which Chris and
John feel is a real tribute to their
grandfather’s credo of making the
finest ice cream possible. Fosselman’s has continuosly won the Gold
Medal at the Los Angeles County
Fair for their famous ice cream,
which only years of experience and
the finest ingredients can achieve.
Chris and John make four batches, or 48 gallons of ice cream, per
hour. They begin preparation at 8
a.m. and clean up around 4 p.m.
Over the course of a year they make
about 250,000 gallons of premium
ice cream. They use no preservatives
and only the finest flavor extracts
available.
Fosselman’s makes a wide array
of both traditional and not-so-traditional flavors. Some of the more uncommon flavors include horchata,
macapuno, and ube. Stop in and experience a flavor of ice cream you
never knew was available.
Fosselman’s Ice Cream Company is
located at 1824 West Main Street in Alhambra. For more information, call
(626) 282-6533 or visit www.fosselmans.com.
PHOTOS BY NANCY LEM