Mexican-Style Ice Cream Spot Opening On Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Hot summer nights beckon the perfect opportunity to savor a sweet nighttime treat—and what better choice than ice cream? Amidst the variety of ice cream and gelato shops on the Upper East Side, a unique new option is poised to join their ranks soon.

Set to open beside the newly established Empanada Mama on First Avenue, between East 74th and 75th Streets, Morelia Gourmet Paletas will introduce a gourmet ice cream delight to the neighborhood.

Specializing in handcrafted and customizable Mexican ice cream pops, Morelia Gourmet Paletas is a frozen treat shop franchise. It currently has locations in New Jersey, Florida, Texas and North Carolina. The upcoming New York City expansion was first reported by East Side Feed.

The franchise owners said that while living in Brazil, they had the opportunity to try Mexican paletas for the first time, sparking their love for the sweet and icy treat.

"After trying hundreds of paletas, we came to the conclusion that there wasn’t a place where we could find the flavors and quality we were expecting," the company website reads.

Their determination drove them to create their own paletas, taking them on multiple trips to Argentina, Peru, and Brazil in search of the best training and inspiring them to set up a lab in one of their apartments.

After perfecting their recipe, the duo opened their first location in Florida in October 2016.

"We decided to name it Morelia, as it is the capital city of the State of Michoacán in Mexico, where it is believed the first paletas originated by people adding fresh fruit to ice and refresh from the high temperatures," the website reads.

The new Upper East Side location is owned and operated by Ariel Bick and her husband Steven Victor.

Paletas can be enjoyed in various forms on a stick—whether as ice cream, fruit, or sweet treats. Menu staples include options like Oreo caramel cheesecake, tropical fruit sorbet, and dulce de leche filled with dulce de leche.

And if that's not enticing enough, all of their paletas can also be dipped in a variety of sauces, including dark chocolate, cookie butter, and crunchy hazelnut. They can then be topped with options like almonds, M&M’s, pistachios, rainbow sprinkles, or transformed into a paleta-sandwich using two chocolate wafers or a waffle burrito.

An official opening date has not yet been announced, but signage is up at the location.

*A previous version of this article had incorrect ownership information.