By Jackson Melin
There are many craft dessert shops in Arizona, but in Catalina, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any. One shop, however, stands out among the surrounding chains: Licks Ice Cream & Coffee.
Jill Perez sat down for a Q&A with The Pima Post about her experiences.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: Three years, going on four.
Q: Do you reach out to or sponsor local vendors for small merchandise, food or gifts?
A: Yeah. We have local vendors come in and tell us about themselves, and we decide whether to carry their items. Some of our vendors have included a woman who makes stickers, Tucson Coffee Roasters, a girl who makes candy and a baker who makes cookies.
Q: What do people come in for more — the ice cream or the coffee?
A: We’re known for our ice cream, but I think people forget that we have coffee. We have a great selection of matcha, Thai and espresso drinks for example. I believe it’s important for an ice cream shop to have coffee because parents come in and want an alternative to ice cream.
Q: Why did you choose to open in Catalina?
A: I live in Catalina and moved here from New York. I love coffee, and we saw that Catalina was a booming market. We wanted to get in before someone else did. I saw that there was no coffee and no ice cream, so we thought we’d capitalize. It’s definitely been an interesting journey so far.
Q:: Aside from profit, what do you hope to accomplish with the shop?
A:: When the idea was born, it was so much about visualization and naming your “why.” My “why” was to build something for my family—to be independent of people who can shut you down. I really wanted to make a place where people can make memories and that’s beneficial to my community. We want to be a light in a dark time.
Q:: If you could give advice to a young business owner, what would you say?
A: Do your homework. It takes a great idea, but you have to feed it. I spent every night researching what I was buying into. Search the demographic. See who can do it better. See how you can make customers feel. It’s all about the relationship — it’s not all about the money. It’s all about the “why.” I’d put that on a sticky note and place it on your mirror to read every morning.
