Happy Birthday Flora!
In September 2025 we celebrated our first year in business–a major accomplishment for a family-run, entirely mobile operation in one of the nation’s most expensive cities. Many customers ask about our motivations for starting a plant-based gelato business (with waffles!), so I’m going to share our story here, with heaps of gratitude for all who helped and inspired us along the way.
My ice cream obsession really started to take shape around my 10th birthday, when I traded up to Baskin Robbins ice cream cakes instead of the frosting-spackled Duncan Hines layers my mom would always make. The photo shows me and my lifelong friend Staci looking on with concern at the rapidly-melting sheet cake, as it pooled onto the kitchen counter faster than we could sing “Happy Birthday.” This is a rather ironic moment of foreshadowing, since my future pastry career was plagued by many such meltdowns. (More on that later).
BaskinRobbins-31Flavors was just a short walk from our home, and a favorite weekend stop during the hot SoCal summers. My dad always ordered Burgundy Cherry and Pralines & Cream, while I got either Baseball Nut or Jamoca Almond Fudge, and Staci went for Daiquiri Ice or Mint Chocolate Chip. I love making plant-based versions of these classics!
Fun Fact: My friend Staci actually came up with the name Flora, which is shared by a strong-minded young girl and a fun-loving Italian grandmother we know.