A gourmet ice pop store is expanding across town with the addition of two new pop shops.
The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops chain is opening a new store in Butler Plaza by 4 Rivers Smokehouse and will have its grand opening Saturday. The second new location will be inside Roberts’ Stadium Club next to Cheese Daddy and will have its soft opening mid-February.
“It’s been really exciting, especially since UF is my alma mater,” said owner Stephen DiMare. “The people in Gainesville really get what we are doing and appreciate it, so it’s really awesome.”
Hyppo features more than 500 recipes and 150 flavors that rotate seasonally. The ice pop store typically has a selection of 30 to 40 available flavors at one time.
DiMare said one part of Hyppo’s fun atmosphere is “you never know what you’re going to get.”
Some of the most popular flavors in the store are champagne mango, key lime, espresso, pineapple cilantro and granny’s apple pie.
One particular flavor, Elvis, is made with peanut butter, banana and honey. Each ice pop costs $3.50 and can be dipped in chocolate for $1 more.
DiMare said he and Brent Smith, the Gainesville Hyppo general manager, both commute between St. Augustine — where the popsicles are made — and Gainesville once a week.
Eric Weber, the director of operations at the Flood Insurance Agency, and his wife Palveshay Weber, a 22-year-old underwriter, are both excited for the openings.
“The Hyppo is a great alternative to the traditional Gainesville dessert scene,” said Eric, 24, “and I’m surprised it took so long to open new locations.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/28/2015 under the headline “UF graduate expands downtown ice pop business with two locations"]
Nicole Giaquinto, a 20-year-old UF public relations sophomore, displays a chocolate-covered ice pop at The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops on Monday evening. The Hyppo opened its doors for the first time this weekend.
