The Saffron and Rose Ice Cream on Westwood Boulevard will reopen this weekend after being temporarily closed for renovations.
When customers enter the renovated family-run shop, they will experience the smell of fresh waffle cones and homemade Persian ice cream made from organic ingredients at a seating area with eight to nine extra spaces, said store manager Fred Papen.
“The shop was in need of a face-lift – something fresh for the new year,” he said.
There will also be a wall dedicated to the history of the establishment, featuring art pieces from around the world and framed editions of publications that have featured the restaurant, Papen said. Additionally, store owners installed an expanded beverage area with a “liquid menu” that offers iced tea and other new drinks.
The restaurant currently offers one or two vegan options each day, but by the summer, the owners said they plan to create a permanent vegan menu with five flavors.
“It’s a slow time for us right now anyways, so we want to pay attention to every little detail while we can,” Papen said.
He added that store management also hired several new staff members to help with the expansion.
“We want to come in with a strong team. Not only are all employees going to be taught our level of customer service, but they are going to be (working) in a more aesthetically pleasing environment,” Papen said.
A monitor in the store will show social media posts about Saffron and Rose, so customers can take pictures of themselves eating ice cream with friends or family and see their photos seconds later onscreen, he said.
Papen’s grandfather, Haji Ali Kashani-Rafye, who came to California from Iran in 1974, started the original Saffron and Rose Ice Cream in Santa Monica using a secret recipe from his own father. It was eventually relocated to Little Persia and named based on the two best-selling flavors of ice cream.
The shop is famous for using whole milk instead of powdered ingredients or water and now offers its creations nationwide.
The soft opening of the renovated store will take place this weekend, though a few pieces of furniture and decorations will be missing until the grand reopening, which is scheduled for early February.
Compiled by Jillian Frankel, Bruin contributor.