What started as a mobile operation built around colorful cups of finely shaved ice has grown into something bigger in Ormond Beach.
The Frozen Frog, located at 1474 W. Granada Blvd., Suite 480, is preparing for its grand opening under owner Kryste Gainey, who runs the local shop with her mother, Debbie.
After a year spent serving their gummy-topped treats curbside, the duo now looks forward to welcoming guests to their vibrant new storefront — an anticipated expansion of their brand vision and menu.
What’s on the menu at The Frozen Frog in Ormond Beach?
To make room for new additions, the owners are trimming their once 40-flavor shaved ice lineup from the trailer down to about a dozen signature options. The frozen dessert is a summertime favorite known for its snow-like texture and fruit-forward added flavorings.
Best-sellers range from the Bahama Mama and mango to watermelon, blue raspberry and cotton candy.
The shop invites guests to “add a scoop of happiness” to their day with a spread of 36 Hershey’s Ice Cream flavors, from Peanut Butter Cup to Cappuccino Crunch, Strawberry, Green Mint Chip and Salty Caramel Truffle.
Several vegan options, like cookies and cream and Super Berry Acai, will be available, alongside sherbets, including orange, lemon and rainbow.
In addition to menu classics like the banana split and hot fudge or strawberry sundaes, The Frozen Frog will serve slushies, frozen lemonade and baked treats down the line.
“We’re going to be putting in an oven, so we can do cookies” among other desserts, Kryste said, including mini cheesecakes, gourmet dessert gift baskets and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Behind the scenes of The Frozen Frog in Ormond Beach
Created in 2024, The Frozen Frog — an acronym for “fully rely on God” — operated for roughly a year under its original owners in Georgia, before the Gaineys purchased it last April after coming across an online advertisement.
No stranger to the food service industry, the duo spent many years working at the former Heavenly Cheesecakes shop off U.S. 1 in Holly Hill, owned by Debbie’s cousin, and found themselves hungry for something of their own to bring to the community.
“I did most of the baking (at Heavenly Cheesecakes) and worked for 30 years there,” Debbie said.
“And I grew up making their little cake boxes and, you know, all those things as a kid,” Kryste added, a job her children would later take over. “… It was like a family thing there, and they recently sold, which made us really sad. So, that’s when we got into the trailer and decided to do something like this.”
After less than a year on wheels, opening a brick-and-mortar location seemed less like an opportunity and more like the answer to a prayer, Debbie said, having first come across the vacant space for lease in November.
“I called (Kryste) and was like, ‘We’re going to open an ice cream shop,’ and she was like, ‘You’re crazy,’” Debbie laughed. By mid-January, the space was theirs.
“We’re a religious family, and I really had been praying, like, I need something; show me something,” Debbie said in reflection. “So, I literally looked over here, and I saw an ice cream shop. It was like a vision that I saw, and I just called her immediately.”
From new flooring and lighting to updated electrical systems and air conditioning, the shop required sweeping renovations the duo said, describing it as a true labor of love.
“From top to bottom, everything is brand-new,” Kryste said. “… We want to make it family-oriented, you know? A clean, fun, safe place for kids and families to come,” whether celebrating a birthday, stopping in after Sunday service, or enjoying mid-day banana split, just because.
“The vision just kind of came to life here,” Debbie added. “… And it’s the most exciting thing ever in my life. I always dreamed of having a place like this.”
Frozen Frogs plans to host its grand opening by the end of May and will open from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 1 – 8 p.m. on Sunday. For information, visit facebook.com/frozen.frog.2025.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Food trailer opens brick and mortar with ice cream, more in Ormond
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
