Hollywood-based Dear Bella Creamy will debut its first Orange County location on Sunday, Oct. 9 at The Lab in Costa Mesa. The chef-driven, plant-based ice cream-maker will give the first 100 guests complimentary scoops on opening day.
Co-founders Alice Cherng and Belinda Wei opened Dear Bella Creamery in 2017 after noticing a void in the vegan ice cream world.
“There was a huge gap,” says chef Wei. Raw and vegan ice cream was something that was too artisanal for most people. There were also off-putting textures. The duo remembers dining at several plant-based restaurants in L.A. After dinner, they’d hunt for a satisfying vegan dessert, but nothing would hit the mark.
“We wanted to create something we’d sell at farmers markets but we never thought we’d have a shop,” Wei says. “I wanted people to get something decadent. I was developing raw and vegan ice cream.” They played with the idea of having an ice cream cart. But Dear Bella Creamery found fans. More diners were seeking a plant-based alternative to traditional ice cream.
The shop now serves 16 flavors made from scratch, which rotate each quarter.
The new Orange County storefront at The LAB is designed by Kellie Patry. The bespoke interior designer conjures the joy of ice cream with Dear Bella’s signature colors: bright pink and teal with pops of red. A neon ice cream cone hangs at the entrance and custom shelving will display vegan snacks and sweets. A glass case showcases the shop’s specialty toppings and ice creams.
Cherng and Wei spent a couple years finding the right location for their second shop. They decided on The LAB because they liked its bohemian atmosphere. Also Seabirds Kitchen was located in the same center.
“It’s the most popular vegan place in Orange County,” says Cherng. “All the stores at The LAB are mom-and-pop or local brands, and they’re doing something very cool there. It’s similar to our ethos and we felt it was the right place for us.”
Cherng was plant-based for years. But Wei discovered her passion for vegan desserts while working in pastry programs at Cafe Gratitude and The Springs LA. They continue to express themselves and channel their Asian-American heritage with flavors such as the Taiwanese Pineapple Cake with chunks of twice-baked house-made gluten-free shortcake layered with pineapple jam. The flavor is Wei’s interpretation of the classic Taiwanese dessert.
“We grew up eating this cake as children,” says Cherng. “It makes me think of summer with my grandparents in Taiwan. It’s very simple but very nostalgic.”
“We knew we needed something that was more cookie-like, so it gives you a crumbly mouth-feel,” adds Wei. “You’re really tasting what we remember from childhood.”
Dear Bella Creamery partners with other like-minded creators for specialty and limited edition flavors. A collaboration with Brooklyn-based FINE & RAW handmade chocolates will be served at the shop.
“The ice cream is a vessel for their chocolate,” says Wei.
The hazelnut butter and chocolate flavor is churned with FINE & RAW Sweet Hazelnut Butter, which is swirled with chunks of roasted hazelnuts. The Espresso Chocolate Bar is the shop’s version of a FINE & RAW Espresso Chocolate bar melted into a coffee ice cream base and churned with more coffee, espresso and dark chocolate speckles.
Eventually, Dear Bella Creamery will launch an Orange County-specific flavor but for now, Cherng and Wei are focused on opening day.
Find it: Dear Bella Creamery at The LAB, 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; dearbellacreamery.com