For Pete Cooney, inspiration came in the form of an avocado popsicle.
He’d spent years building a career in accounting and finance in Milwaukee, with a growing interest in food, when he tasted the unconventional treat in his hometown of St. Louis and thought he could try concocting adventurous flavors of his own back in Wisconsin.
He launched Pete’s Pops in June of 2014, starting with a cart purchased on Craigslist set up in the Third Ward. Now with four permanent seasonal locations, and a fleet of fifteen mobile units popping up at festivals, markets and special events in Milwaukee and beyond, the business and its frozen treats are a symbol of summertime in the city.
Pete initially envisioned catering to a hip, young adult crowd. And he does serve that demographic, but he’s been pleasantly surprised by the younger customer base he’s attracted.
“When I started the business, I thought I’d be on Brady Street serving really funky flavors,” he says. “We do that, but it’s really such a family-friendly business.”
Part of the appeal is the simple joy of a frozen popsicle on a hot day, but also because Pete’s Pops from the start has focused on natural ingredients and fresh fruits. And then there are the creative flavor combinations.
Pete’s Pops outposts feature ten to twenty at any given time, but Pete has more than a hundred options in his arsenal, ranging from pineapple jalapeño, salted watermelon, mango lassi and rosewater lemonade to sweet corn and blackberry swirl, coffee ’n donuts, chocolate covered potato chip and, of course, avocado.
“We always offer a range of simple flavors that kids will love, like strawberry lemonade and fudgesicle, and some slightly more interesting flavors and some that mostly adults will appreciate,” he says.
Even though summer is short in Wisconsin, Pete says it’s a great place to run his business, and Milwaukeeans have been incredibly supportive.
“I wish our season was a little longer,” he says. “But when the weather’s beautiful, people just want to be out and doing all the things.”
And especially after the difficulties of the past two years, Pete appreciates being in the popsicle business. If he’s stressed or having a tough day, his attitude shifts when he walks up to his shop and sees a line of kids waiting.
“It’s hard to be mad at a popsicle stand,” he says. “It would be weird for us to be anything other than positive and joyful.”
This summer, Pete’s focus is on creating an even more fun environment for his staff and everyone who comes in for a pop.
“We’re meant to be a little blip of positivity,” he says. “We let that guide us.”
Photos courtesy of Pete’s Pops.
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.