Kwality Ice Cream Shop, Mahopac
DAVID PROPPER PHOTO
With summer and the hot, long days to go along with it, opening up an ice cream shop might be the most business savvy move a person can make.
And that’s exactly what Vijay Rayavarapu did when he opened up Kwality Ice Cream Shop in Mahopac last month. The store, located off South Lake Boulevard, offers a wide array of ice cream flavors, cones, ice cream cakes and other novelty ice cream treats to customers looking to cool off.
Rayavarapu used to own two Carvel franchises, but decided to move on, allowing him to offer more to customers. By owning his own business, he doesn’t have to follow instructions from any corporate bigwig.
“It’s good to try your own brand so you can do whatever you want,” Rayavarapu, who enjoys having fun at work, said.
Kwality offers more than 40 different flavors to customers and offers weekly promotions. (Buy one sundae, get one free on Mondays and buy one cone, get one free on Wednesdays.)
All the ice cream in the shop is homemade. (Mango is Rayavarapu’s favorite.)
“Trying to give customers the healthiest, the best ice cream,” Rayavarapu said.
Kwality Ice Cream began on July 15 and has been doing well in its first month. During that time, Rayavarapu, a Rockland County resident, has tried to make sure his ice cream shop is giving customers the best possible quality.
“We’ve been getting a good reception from the town,” he said. “Everyone’s been very nice to us.”
One more perk about running his own ice cream store is the name he came up is an ode to his family. Each letter in Kwality represents the name of someone in his family, including his wife, son and daughter.
“Never in my own history did I think I’d be opening my own business,” Rayavarapu said. “But now that’s what it is.”
