Who doesn’t love waffles, ice cream, or both? We met up with The Dolly Llama who has partnered with Mondelēz International to launch the Mini OG Ice Cream Sandwich Made With OREO Cookie Pieces to celebrate OREO 110th Birthday. Since its inception in 2017, The Dolly Llama has been a popular destination in L.A for its waffle scene, where they have a unique take on the Bubble Waffle, Hong Kong’s signature waffles in addition to Dolly Llama Shakes, and OG Waffles.
They wanted this designed to be a modern dessert shop where customers can enjoy hand-crafted waffles and ice cream in a cool, hip and fun environment. The concept’s success can be attributed to their innovative and artisanal ice cream flavors and waffles, but the experience in their shops is what you can call the cherry on top: Beautiful graphic designs of their signature llama, upbeat music, and most importantly, great customer service.
Here we have a special interview from the founders themselves, giving us sweet insights on The Dolly Llama. The Dolly Llama was founded by real estate leader, Eric Shomof and Samuel Baroux, an acclaimed European entrepreneur and restaurateur who wanted to bring their passion for food and dessert to the states. The name was inspired by a real llama Baroux encountered on a farm in the South of France, and pays homage to his home country.
What made you start The Dolly Llama?
The Dolly Llama started with a passion to create a place that brings together a diverse range of customers and age groups to be able to enjoy nostalgic desserts with a modern twist.Where are your food inspirations from? We draw our inspirations from local artists, the community or city we’re in as well as international markets like those in Hong Kong and Belgium until we are able to perfect our offerings.
Is there a flavor that people are missing on the daily?
We try to have a broad range of flavors and limitless combinations, so customers are able to try something new each time, if that’s what they’re looking for. Many customers like to find their favorites and stick to them!What is the most overrated flavor of all? Hard to answer this one. We truly love them all! I would say that maybe vanilla could be underrated, but we think it’s a great base to create so many flavor combinations.
What are your goals for The Dolly Llama for this year?
We are in full blown expansion mode! Our goals for this year are to continue to expand with new franchises across the country. We want to be able to bring our delicious waffles and ice cream to more customers and continue to spread The Dolly Llama love! We currently have 6 signed leases, all planned to open this 2022 year, ranging from California expansions to Texas to Florida!
Open from Daily, Monday-Thursday 3 p.m.-11 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Check the locations at thedollyllamala.com
Photo courtesy The Dolly Llama
