Organic, Local, and Yummy – Oly Pops Offers Cold, Healthy Treats

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By Tali Haller

south sound trucksIn a cleverly crafted acronym, Oly Pops offers what many Olympians are craving on hot summer days: cold Organic, Local, and Yummy treats!

Nestled in the heart of downtown Olympia, Oly Pops was created by two recent Evergreen graduates, Leland Chazen and Linus Binns.

It all started last summer. Sitting in an upper-level apartment in downtown Olympia, they were just “so, so hot.”

olympia ice cream
Leland Chazen and Linus Binns created a local Popsicle business that offers delicious, organic, allergen-free, frozen treats.

“The sun was beating right into the apartment and all we wanted was ice cream,” remembered Leland. However, due to Leland’s many food allergies, there was nowhere downtown where they could find a healthy ice cream alternative. Instead, they began creating their own homemade concoctions right in their kitchen. They went down to the local Olympia Farmers Market, bought fresh produce – plenty of organic fruits and veggies – and began blending and experimenting with different combinations.  “It didn’t take too long before we became popsicle-obsessed,” Leland said with a smile.

As with many great finds, Leland and Linus’s tasty treats were hard to keep to themselves. When they found ones they particularly liked, they would share them with friends and family, all of whom were delighted by the healthy popsicles. ”It began to dawn on us that we should start a little Popsicle business in the summertime,” explained Leland, recognizing that there wasn’t a lot of competition. “Other small ice cream stores and dessert places, like Grandpa’s downtown, are great but they don’t satisfy people like me who have a lot of food-allergies. Oly Pops is gluten-free, dairy-free, and mostly nut-free,” explained Leland.

But with so many traditional ingredients off the table, what does go into the popsicles? Mostly, it’s fresh produce. “We try to keep at least two of our flavor offerings free of added sugar,” Leland said. “In those, it’s just the produce and a base, usually a little bit of lime juice, some fresh avocado along with coconut milk, depending on how creamy we want the texture to be in our creamy pops.”

olympia ice cream
Ready to expand, Leland and Linus just bought an old trailer that they plan to turn into a mobile sweet shop for the colder months!

During my visit I tried two no-sugar-added popsicles – Mango Pineapple and Honeydew Cucumber. When they do add sugar, it’s unrefined sugar, meaning that the sugar retains most of its nutrients (phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, etc.) that it would otherwise lose in processing (refined sugar). Learn more about good sugars vs. bad sugars here.

What’s more, the popsicles are both environmentally-friendly and kid-friendly. Packaged in BPA-free plastic tubes, they make for a delicious push pop that drastically cuts down on packaging material and doesn’t use they typical popsicle stick. Unlike traditional popsicles these pops can melt a little, get thrown into the freezer, and turn out as good as new, rather than ending up morphed and barely hanging on the stick. Plus, if you accidentally drop your pop, as kids are prone to do, the pops are safe from dirt and still-coated in their plastic wrap. “We are very environmentally conscious and try to leave as little of a carbon footprint as possible,” Leland stated.

On the business side, things seem to be going well. They broke even a while ago after investing an estimated $500 in their current Popsicle cart (an old cart they bought on Craiglist and fixed up), an umbrella, a sign, packaging, and their popsicle ingredients.

olympia ice cream
The Oly Pops regular venue is in downtown Olympia, where they’re open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.

However, they’ve decided to expand in the fall. “We just bought a 1969 Kit-Companion Trailer that we’re going to make into a mobile sweet shop for the colder months. We’ll be doing vegan, gluten-free donuts, coffee, and an assortment of other healthy treats,” explained Linus, who is the main baker. “This is definitely a long-term investment but it’s going to be awesome!”

A majority of their profits come from events. With this in mind, they plan to scout out events and travel to them, maybe even venturing into Seattle and greater Olympia areas at times. “We’re not stuck in a storefront, that’s the beauty of it,” said Linus.

The joy-inducing, mouth-watering cart is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday, selling popsicles at $3 or 2 for $5. Popular flavors include Banana Fudge, Keylime Pie, Strawberry Lemon, Blueberry Peach, Mango Pineapple, and Honeydew Melon.  You can find the cart at 728 4th Ave East.

At the moment, the business is completely run by these two self-acclaimed “cat-loving popsicle-obsessed” people. However, they’re already envisioning a future in which others come on board to help share the workload.

For now, stay updated on their whereabouts via their Oly Pops Facebook page.

 

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