Pandemic Dream Evolves Into New Business For LI Teens: 'A Simple Joy'

GREENPORT, NY — A Greenport family used creativity and determination during the pandemic to turn their idea for fresh fruit ice pops into a brand-new business — and now they've launched a crowdfunding campaign to take their products on the road in a new minivan.

Kristian Iglesias and his family, including his wife Nadira Vlaun and their kids Brae and Osa, are "the masterminds behind Dos Ositos Paletas, a bedrock of the Sunshine Shack last year," said Ian Wile, who runs the shop, with his partner Travis Zurawski, at Orient Beach State Park — one of the places the pops are sold.

"Dos Ositos" means two bears, Iglesias said.

It's the kids, especially his son Brae, now 15, Iglesias said, who took the idea and shaped it into the emerging new business it is today.

"The kids fired up this business during COVID and really created something special," Wile said. "Now they are trying to jump up to the next level with an expansion."

Kristian Iglesias explained their family's vision to Patch: "We started the paleta — fresh fruit ice pops —company in the middle of the pandemic. We needed something to do with the kids and they had been experimenting at home with paleta recipes. So, I built them a cart with a portable freezer and we started to set up shop around Greenport."

The kids loved creating the flavorful treats. "It was super fun, a great learning experience, and everyone loved them," Iglesias said.

The following year, his family was able to secure a commercial kitchen space close by, purchased some more equipment, and started getting some wholesale accounts. Today, they have about eight accounts on the North and South Forks, Iglesias said.

"This past year we moved again to a larger shared commercial kitchen in Cutchogue and started to expand our accounts, including out in Orient with Ian and the Sunshine Shack. All of the work is done by our family with our son Brae, leading the way," Iglesias said.

Their family has launched a Kickstarter campaign, "Let's Get Fresh Wheels For Dos Ositos Paletas", with the goal of raising $12,500 to "purchase a super cool minivan so that we can make deliveries and do events."

The campaign launched Sunday and will last for 30 days.

Iglesias reflected on his son's dedication to the dream.

"Brae has pretty much captained the ship the entire way," he said. "His older sister designed the logo and is the taste master of the kitchen; she is now off in her first year of college. Brae works the cart, the kitchen, makes deliveries, and has gone to all of the meetings with the business owners since he was 13."

The paletas are based on traditional Mexican ice-pops, Iglesias said. "They are made with only fresh fruit — organic and local if we can find it — and organic cane sugar or organic condensed coconut milk. That is it! No preservatives, always fresh and made in small batches. We work with local farms like Treiber Farms and Wickam's Fruit Farm as well as Share the Harvest in the Hamptons to source most of our produce. We usually try to take the 'ugly' fruit, which tends to be the most ripe and perfect for pop-making. We love what we do and think it comes through in the pops," he said.

The pandemic was the perfect time to work together on realizing their shared dream, Iglesias said.

"Being locked up was tough for everyone, but we always find a way to have some fun. Osa and Brae had been experimenting with paleta recipes for the last couple of summers and we figured it would be great to sell them locally in Greenport. They got to design the cart, engineer how it would work, source all the materials and fruit, meet with local business owners, great customers and engage in transactions. Win-win for everyone."

The North Fork was the perfect place for the project, he said. "The North Fork has good people. The landscape is beautiful, but the community is what makes it special."

Shaping the fledgling business has taught lifelong lessons to his children, Iglesias said. "The process has taught the kids how business works, community engagement, work ethic and accountability to others. They have a larger respect for business owners and those who work hard to achieve their goals. They realize the importance of having support and people who believe in you."

He added: "They have allowed me to sit back and see this unfold from a distance of enjoyment and wonder. They are also my boss, but I enjoy being their employee!"

The most rewarding part, Iglesias said, is the "joy of seeing smiles come across the faces of anyone who has a pop. It is a simple joy — and we find happiness in the small things in life."

The kids were 13 and 15 when they smarted their small-batch company during the pandemic "to encourage engagement when we were all tied to our homes," Brae said.

"With a cart built by our papa, we set out to sell paletas we had been experimenting with in our home," Brae added. "Our first outing was a success, and we continued to sell our paletas at different pop-up locations on the North Fork of Long Island throughout the summer. We purchased a blast freezer the following year and moved into a commercial kitchen, allowing us to start wholesale accounts and offer our pops at private parties and events."

Father and son explained their shared goal: "To see bright smiles on everyone's faces is our mission. . . We love our community . . . Our paletas are always fresh. Nothing but fruit, organic cane sugar — and love."

Flavors include melon-mint, strawberry, lemon-lime, and raspberry-hibiscus.

"Our goal for the fundraiser is to purchase a small minivan to grow our deliveries and parties and increase distribution," the Kickstarter campaign said. "That is where we need your help! We are looking to raise $12,500 to purchase the van, outfit it with freezers and battery packs, and add our logo with flare."

And the campaign added: "These tiny vans from Japan just fit our vibe. They get 40 miles per gallon and have a tremendous amount of interior space that we can use to set up our freezers and load our cart for parties and deliveries. Our setup will likely use a portable power unit — a big rechargeable battery — and two large freezers. The nice part about this setup is that it's modular, and we can help charge them with solar power."

The van will cost $6,500 to $8,500; freezers will run about $1,300 for two; a portable power unit costs $1,400; vinyl car decals cost $1,200; and the rest will go to the Kickstarter campaign, Kristian and Brae said.

"We are grateful for your help in any way possible. Whether financial, spiritual, or collaborative —we appreciate your support," they said. "A special thank you to our community; we are in this fantastic position to grow because of you."

Watching the business grow has also meant a great deal to Wile, who also owns Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market in Greenport. "Little Creek prides itself on supporting local producers and it has been amazing to watch the Dos Ositos story unfold," Wile said. "From the unsure days of COVID to getting themselves properly equipped and permitted and off the ground. Personally, it is an even sweeter story as we have known the Iglesias family since, well — since everyone was much younger."

He added: "During a time when there is a lot of talk about loss of citizen-owned business and a few too many 'kids' today' talks, I am so excited to see this homegrown, youth-centered business go for the next level."

And, as for how he feels to offer Dos Ositos Paletas at the Sunshine Shack on the beach in Orient, Wile said, "It's as close to the best part of what we hope this place can be as possible."

To donate to the Kickstarter campaign, click here.