Snowball Shop ‘Ice Queens’ Opening This Weekend in Locust Point
Snowball Shop ‘Ice Queens’ will open tomorrow at 1648 E. Fort Ave. in Locust Point. The 600 sq. ft., first-floor retail space at the corner of Andre St. and E. Fort Ave. was vacant in recent months after previously being the home to several different cafes throughout the years.
Ice Queens is a business by Dasia Kabia, who is a new resident of Locust Point, and Dr. Monique Burke, who is a 20-year resident of the neighborhood. Dr. Burke is a pediatrician who has seen Kabia as a patient since she was 3-years-old. Kabia, who is now 22-years-old, told Dr. Burke last year about her goal to open a snowball shop and Dr. Burke wanted to team up on the venture.
Dr. Burke is from New Orleans, where snowballs are just as big as they are in Baltimore. Dr. Burke said her husband and two kids are “snowball connoisseurs” and were big fans of Snoasis before it closed in 2013. They have been yearning for another snowball shop in the neighborhood since that time.
Kabia has been managing a snowball stand in Catonsville for the last five years.
Ice Queens will serve New Orleans-style snow balls. Kabia said that “it’s all about the ice.” Ice Queens has a New Orleans-style ice machine from the 1920s that makes a fluffy style of ice that can be filled with all the different flavors.
Ice Queens will have flavors covering every color of the rainbow in both regular and diet. Kabia said there will be more than 100 flavor combinations. Customers can also get snowballs “Hawaiian-style” topped with a creamy liquid (non-dairy also available), or the Baltimore classic of egg custard with marshmallow. The menu will have special flavors each week.
Also on the menu is New Orleans-style coffee from Community Coffee or Cafe Du Monde. The team may also add beignets, which is a Cafe Du Monde staple, in the future. Ice Queens will make homemade iced teas and lemonades. It will also sell baked goods and dog treats, and may add a breakfast menu in the future.
Dr. Burke and Kabia added a lot of color to the retail space with string lights, hanging umbrellas, and new signage on the exterior. They took out the commercial kitchen behind the retail space to create space for extra seating and private parties.
Currently Maryland dining rooms are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Ice Queens looks forward to opening these spaces in the future and adding outdoor seating. Ice Queens will start out serving through a service window on the side of the building.
With the pandemic ongoing, they said they are happy to bring something that can bring “a bit of happiness to people.” As a pediatrician, Dr. Burke knows the stress of COVID-19 and is excited to do something “a bit less stressful” after working her day job.
Dr. Burke said they will take many have precautions and have protocols in place to keep people safe.
Ice Queens will be open daily from 12pm to 8pm.
As Ice Queens gets started, Dr. Burke and Kabia will be helped out by their families. Dr. Burke’s 12-year-old daughter and Kabia’s 11-year-old brother will be greeters.
They said the community has been so encouraging. They said many neighbors have stopped to show their support and Locust Point restaurant owners have given advice.
Dr. Burke and Kabia are hoping to become a great asset to adjacent Latrobe Park. “You can take a coffee on the way to soccer and get a snowball on the way back,” said Dr. Burke.
Photo below courtesy of Snow Queen’s Instagram page
Dr. Monique Burke (left), Dasia Kabia (right)
Dasia Kabia (left), Dr. Monique Burke (right)
About the Author: Kevin Lynch
Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.
