Family Business Offers Variety of Sweet Treats and Refreshments in the Heart of Chalmette
Offering a wide selection of desserts and cold treats, Don Cruz Snowballs held a ribbon cutting for their Chalmette location on Thursday morning, August 10th.
St. Bernard Parish resident Joe Cruz along with his daughter Ariana celebrated the opening of the second location of their family business at 1112 West Judge Perez Drive (the corner of Judge Perez and Jackson Boulevard).
“We sell traditional snowballs with a Latin flavor along with roasted corn, fruit cups, and specialty ice creams,” said Joe Cruz. “We are not your typical snowball and ice cream shop.”
The father-and-daughter-owned business opened up its Kenner location during COVID due to the cancellation of festivals and other sporting events. “Twelve years ago I started selling roasted corn at athletic tournaments and corporate events but when the pandemic shut down public gatherings, my daughter and I decided we needed to transition to a traditional storefront and expand the menu options to do a little bit of everything,” said Joe Cruz.
But beyond selling desserts Don Cruz Snowballs has another mission. “When we opened the location, we were thinking also about finally having a place for high school students and the community to socialize,” said Ariana Cruz, who is a co-owner and a graduate of Chalmette High School’s Class of 2014.
“St. Bernard really doesn’t have a place for young people to hang out and enjoy themselves after football games and other events so we wanted to fill that void,” said Ariana Cruz.
“We see our business as a throwback to the old soda fountains but also host little events. We have a treat for everyone here,” said Ariana Cruz.
Don Cruz Snowballs is open 7 days a week from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
