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Growing up in Philadelphia, Lemeir Mitchell had two favorite things: tattoos and the flavorful treat known as water ice. He moved to Los Angeles several years ago to pursue tattoo artistry, but he veered off when he became an aficionado of L.A. food truck culture, deciding to bring Angelenos a taste of his roots by launching his own fast-growing mini-empire of Happy Ice trucks.
Since opening in late 2017, he has built an ardent fan base–including such celebrities as Angelina Jolie, Post Malone and Anthony Anderson–and received a million-dollar investment from partner Ted Foxman to open his brick-and-mortar location at 7324 Melrose Ave., several blocks west of Pink’s Hot Dogs.
Mitchell is making another brave leap forward by sending his trucks on a “Happiness Tour,” bringing the vegan treat to 12 Southern California cities plus Las Vegas from mid-August through Sept. 20. Now that he has four trucks in his fleet, he has been able to maintain not only the Melrose store but also permanent truck locations at Inglewood and Compton throughout the far-flung treks.
Happy Ice will be serving up smiles at the Glendale Galleria from noon to 8 p.m. Sat. and Sun. before stopping at the Rose Bowl here in Pasadena from noon to 8 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 19. Mitchell took a few minutes from his constantly moving schedule to spread the word about the tour.
“The amount of success and positive feedback we received from our Melrose opening was overwhelming and such a blessing, and I’ve had the idea of expanding our truck stops to various locations for a while now,” says Mitchell.
“Since opening the shop, so many people started messaging me on social media to see if the Happy Ice truck could stop by their cities. My goal with the Happiness Tour is to bring the smiles and joy we see in L.A. to other areas from all across SoCal, including Pasadena. During times like this, I figure everyone could use a little happiness in their life.”
Mitchell describes Happy Ice as “an ultra-premium water ice product made from a secret recipe from my hometown in Philadelphia with an artistic L.A. twist.” He notes that “it has the smooth, rich, creamy texture of ice cream and the light, fruity refreshment of sorbet, without egg or dairy products. He adds that it is vegan-friendly and has no nut products–making its nine flavors (with up to three choices per cup) a treat that most people can enjoy without worry.
“Our famous Rainbow Rocket and the Time Machine are our bestsellers,” Mitchell says. “Rainbow Rocket is a combination of all of our flavors, scooped in a way that makes it super eye-catching and Instagram-worthy, plus it’s delicious!
“Time Machine is another fan favorite because we hear all the time that it reminds customers of the Big Stick Popsicles from their childhood. Nostalgia and happiness definitely keeps people coming back for the Time Machine.”
The Happy Ice truck will be stationed from noon to 8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. at the Glendale Galleria, and from noon to 8 p.m. next Fri., Sept. 18, at the Rose Bowl. The cost is $6 to $7 (soft serve costs $2 more). Visit happyicela.com.
