By L.V. Kegley
Around the start of this century, there has been a standout place for getting ice cream in Newport News. A frequent flood of fluctuating flavors has been a fundamental component for distinguishing City Center Ice Cream throughout the years. Young Choi, store owner, says City Center Ice Cream differentiates itself by how its ice cream is made. Prepared within the store, each batch is made by the employees. This way, there is more control and curation over each flavor.
Choi takes special pride in the store’s lavender ice cream. Alongside green tea and espresso, she enjoys having these more unique flavors with classics such as chocolate, her daughter’s personal favorite. From bowl to coveted cone, additions such as protein powder provide preferences for a wide margin of customers. By having this level of personal involvement with the product, there is an air of hand-built pride surrounding each scoop, maintaining motivation over many years.
In Newport News, Choi has been operating the ice cream shop for approximately 20 years. Originating as part of the Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream franchise, Choi developed the store into an independent ice cream shop. When Maggie Moo’s and Marble Slab Creamery merged around a decade ago, Choi decided to rename and rebrand the store as City Center Ice Cream. As Choi says, this change was to “make sure it maintained recognizability.” Since the store had been established in the community, that familiarity and locality was a fundamental factor in deciding the new direction.
Choi owned and operated two nail salons in New York and New Jersey for several years. Once she moved to Newport News, she opted to operate in a new industry. Initially, getting the business set up was a complex process. Having come from Korea, Choi noted that having a different native language added to the challenge of navigating a myriad of bureaucracy. However, she found the community here incredibly helpful. There was an immediate sense of connection. As Choi says, “Everyone here was so helpful. I received help throughout this whole process.” And, her daughter Annie would frequently assist with the business. In their free time, Choi and her daughter enjoy unwinding and just relaxing.
Today, Annie is store manager. Having worked there since its inception, she has been a foundational factor in the store’s life story. Starting out as a general employee, Annie spent many summers assisting her parents with the shop. The store has continuously had a multitude of helping hands, often with a revolving team of 10 employees.
The ice cream shop’s popularity is not limited to employment. Annie noted the pattern of parents bringing their children in as after having braved a visit to the dentist. Because of this, City Center Ice Cream teamed up with the local pediatric dentistry to meet that community. By organizing a time to directly sell at the dentist’s office, Choi described this special event as “meeting the community where they are.” While the ice cream shop has not partnered since the pandemic, she still recalls the pairing as a sweet combination. The store continues to cater various external events, ranging from corporate parties to festivals.
Happy with its customer base, location and product, the Choi family intends to keep the store as a community cornerstone.
TO THE POINT:
City Center Ice Cream (formerly Maggie Moo’s)
Address: 707 Mariners Row, Ste. 106, Newport News VA 23606
Email: citycentericecream@gmail.com
Phone: 757-599-3996
Website: citycentericecream.com
