Aug 3, 2018, 2:20pm CDT
Wonders Ice Cream is rolling into another Twin Cities location — this time in Dinkytown. The rolled ice cream shop, which makes ice cream on a frozen surface and folding it into ribbons, is opening in a subleased, 1,300-square- foot space on 14th Avenue in Dinkytown that formerly housed One Two Three Sushi. "There's no dessert options [in the area] outside of bubble tea," said JK Yang, Wonders cofounder and co-owner. "So I think we're going to be popping." Yang said Wonders is aiming to start construction this month, and hopes to open by the time the U’s semester starts in September. Wonders has been expanding rapidly in the last few years. Since opening its first location in August 2017 in St. Paul, it has opened in Blaine, Maple Grove, Burnsville and plans to open in the Mall of America in the fall. Yang said he and co-owner Kit Houngnakhone have taken trips to Chicago to research expanding there, and is eyeing Dallas as another potential market. "We're growing really quickly, and we just want to make everything work," he said. "We're not trying to force things, [but] if it's the right opportunity ... then yeah, we're all onboard." Startup costs for a location are around $50,000, and Yang said they focus on "turn-key" locations that require minimal construction work. The Dinkytown location is only requiring stripping out countertops, bringing in equipment and repainting the space. DAVID CLAREY Since opening in 2017, the brand's rolled ice cream, with toppings heaped on top, have been social media hits, and double as the company’s own organic form of marketing. Caspian Group’s Marshall Nguyen negotiated the sublease for the space. Cushman & Wakefield’s Andrea Christenson represented the landlords. The Minnesota Daily reported that One Two Three Sushi closed on July 31, to focus on other locations. The fast-casual sushi eatery has five other locations throughout the Twin Cities.
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