Toronto will soon have a new destination for summer’s best comfort food. Coco Market founder Orlee Wertheim says that opening a vegan, sugar-free ice cream shop has been a long-time goal. “The best summer activity is going for a walk and getting an ice cream,” she says. “I always thought that option was missing for a lot of people who had food restrictions or who were trying to be healthy.”
Wertheim says that launching her ice cream shop came down to partnering with the right maker, which she eventually found in On Third Thought. The Toronto-based brand specializes in vegan gelato that’s free of nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs and other common allergens.
In place of dairy, On Third Thought uses rice milk to give the gelato its signature creamy texture. “I don’t think this is something that’s only going to be appealing to people who are trying to be refined sugar-free or vegan. It’s all those things but I think that anyone would be able to enjoy it,” says Wertheim.
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Although On Third Thought typically uses sugar in its gelato, Wertheim says they’re working with co-founder Jade Lalonde to create exclusive, sugar-free flavours for Coco Market. The full line-up is still in development but Wertheim says that customers can expect rotating seasonal flavours, as well as varieties that incorporate other food items sold at Coco Market.
She says there will be topping add-ons, such as almond butter or sugar-free candies, that also highlight the shop’s products. The coffee flavour, which Wertheim says will taste like “iced coffee in ice cream form” is one that she’s particularly excited to debut.
The ice cream counter will sit within Coco Market’s Rosedale shop. Wertheim says that the market will soon have a CaféTO patio on Yonge, where customers can sit to enjoy their ice cream. The shop is also a short walk away from Ramsden Park. They’re currently aiming for a mid-June launch for the new concept.
