After spotting the rising popularity of rolled ice cream on social media in 2019, Tinia and Leo Lee took the leap to launch their own business, Rollie Rolls. Their venture, located in Pflugerville, Texas, serves a unique mix of Thai-style rolled ice cream, boba tea, and instant ramen, catering to the local community.
Inspiration Behind Rollie Rolls
Originally from Boston, the couple moved to Texas and found that the state’s warm climate was an ideal match for the refreshing, icy treat. Though they always knew they wanted to start a small business, the road to rolled ice cream wasn’t straightforward. According to Tinia, it took them nearly a year to settle on the concept after seeing viral videos of the dessert online.
“It took us two months in our garage and having our neighbors try our ice cream,” Tinia said. “When we first opened, it wasn’t perfect, but we learned and improved.”
Even now, the couple continues experimenting and refining their product. “It’s an ongoing process, always testing new ideas and improving our techniques,” Tinia added.
A Place for the Community
Located near a local school, Rollie Rolls has quickly become a hub for the community, particularly for students. Tinia emphasized how much they value providing a welcoming space for kids to hang out and relax.
“It’s a safe space for them,” Tinia said. “Seeing them all happy and hanging out here is very heartwarming for us.”
The shop offers a variety of playful flavors with creative names like Cookie Monster, Love Bites, and Chunky Panda, combining ingredients like matcha, condensed milk, and fruits such as strawberries and longan. The ice cream base is made fresh in-store, and the menu includes dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-friendly options to cater to all dietary needs.
What Sets Rollie Rolls Apart
What distinguishes rolled ice cream from traditional varieties is its unique texture, created by a specific technique. Leo Lee explained that the process involves cooling freezing pans to negative 30 degrees Celsius before pouring the ice cream base onto them. Once it hardens, it’s chopped, mixed with fruits or candies, and scraped into six rolls.
“It’s like a cold hibachi,” Leo said, comparing the live preparation of the dessert to the interactive experience of hibachi cooking. “Once it gets to a great freezing point, it’s not too brittle, not too soft—like a gelato texture.”
Customers can watch the entire preparation from behind a glass screen, where the Lees and their staff perform the slow, deliberate movements of drizzling syrups and manipulating tools on the pan, adding a visual element to the dessert-making process.
“When they see us working in the air with the tools, it triggers something in their brain,” Tinia said. “That’s what drew us in as well. We thought, ‘Let’s bring this experience to them.’”
Through their combination of creativity, dedication, and a commitment to their community, the Lees have turned Rollie Rolls into more than just a place for dessert—it’s become a gathering spot for the neighborhood, where customers can enjoy both delicious treats and an engaging culinary show.
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