The city’s newest dessert stop is not only the perfect way to enjoy a cool treat on a hot summer day, but also a great way to support entrepreneurial youth.
Emma Khan, 16, and 15-year-old her sister Isabella are the faces behind the counter at Embella's waffles and ice-cream trailer at the corner of Yonge Street and Huronia Road, which opened last Friday in the city's south end.
BarrieToday spoke with Emma about the endeavour and to find out what made the sisters want to work in a busy ice-cream trailer during their summer off.
“My sister and I worked for a food truck before and when they closed, we wanted to keep going at it and learn a little responsibility and make some money on our own,” Emma said. “My mom also said she wanted us to have some experience with entrepreneurship and this seemed like the perfect thing to do.”
Their dad helped with the acquisition of the trailer and the sisters worked with their mom on making a homemade batter, which is turned into waffles for the ice-cream treats.
Between their six-burner waffle-maker and various flavours of ice cream and toppings, Emma says the treats are designed to not just eat, but also post as a delicious summer selfie.
“We have mint chip, cotton candy, cookies and cream, french vanilla and double chocolate, and toppings from sprinkles to strawberries and, of course, whipped cream,” she said. “You see on Instagram all these cool creations that people are posting; we wanted to try to make that using the waffle and ice-cream combination.
"It's really delicious, but also very fun to post on social media in the summertime.”
Embella's is adjusting to times of day that are the busiest, but they are currently open every day from 2-9 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 9 p.m.
“We’re learning that it is very weather-permitting,” Emma said. “If it's pouring rain, people stay inside and when it's extremely hot, like the last few days, people don’t want to be in that, either. But it's all about learning and seeing what it takes to run a business, it’s also a lot of fun.”
