The Pink Parlor: not your typical ice cream shop

By Sophia Cardona

The Pink Parlor is the newest addition to Rainier Lane in St. Johns County, Florida. The ice cream shop is located right outside the Bartram Springs neighborhood which is a densely populated local community.

The Pink Parlor opened its doors on March 21, 2024. The ice cream shop is open Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and stays open one hour later (11 p.m.) on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The Pink Parlor owner, Debra Alessi, decorated the shop alongside her family. Her goal was to make it look fun and exciting for customers.

“I wanted a place where people can make memories and families can come in and take pictures,” Alessi said.

The whole ice cream shop is pink including most of the decorations and even the menu. Not only does it match with the name, but also with the vibe Alessi wants to give out. 

“Seeing everybody with a happy face is my favorite part of this place,” she said.

This is the “party room.” When building the ice cream shop, Alessi wanted a place where kids and young adults could have fun and bond. Some of her plans for this room include karaoke night and sundae night, a night where people can create their own sundaes.

Yoder’s Southern Creamery is the brand of ice cream sold at The Pink Parlor. No other business in town carries this brand which makes it even more special; however, when choosing the brand of ice cream, there was a lot Alessi needed to learn first.

“When starting the business, we learned all about ice cream, the different vendors, the different equipment and the terminology,” Alessi said. “I hired an ice cream consultant to kind of coach me through the whole process.”

The Pink Parlor has a total of 22 topping options to choose from such as candy bars, sour gummies and tons of pink sprinkles. For more efficiency, Alessi sorted the toppings into small containers which also help keep the area mess free.

The Pink Parlor has 16 different ice cream flavors. Not only that, but they also have milkshakes and proffertjes, which are traditional Dutch pancakes that are served with powdered sugar, syrup and whipped cream.

“I get so excited when kids and even adults come in and start taking photos,” she said. “It just makes me feel like this is what I was meant to do.”

Visit The Pink Parlor at 125 Rainier Ln, St Johns, FL 32259.