Today, we’d like to introduce you to Nikita Seal.
Nikita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always had the hustle in me. Even way back in elementary school, I was selling candy to classmates.
In high school, I spotted an opportunity around Valentine’s Day and started selling belly button rings. After serving in the Air Force, I channeled that entrepreneurial spirit into Wah Lah Cleaning, a successful business that taught me much about customer service and hard work.
But my true passion lies in creating delicious treats. That’s why I founded ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs, and let me tell you, it’s been a sweet journey!
The idea sparked nearly five years ago. I felt that Dallas was missing something new, fun, and exciting. I’ve always been a really big fan of food trucks. I enjoy the whole culture that comes with it. When Covid happened, and I got laid off, it was the push I needed to chase my dreams.
I took my entire life savings to buy a food trailer. The concept? Ice cream nestled between a warm donut, then topped with cereal. I thought it was just dope! ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs, a dream named for my five-year-old twins (Zion and Ziah), officially launched on my 32nd birthday! Everything means something to me. I try to be intentional with every single detail.
And let me tell you, the love has been pouring in! We’ve been voted among the top 10 food trucks in the DFW by Yelp, a testament to the amazing customers who adore our unique and mouthwatering ice cream puffs. We’ve even been nominated for both BIPOC Entrepreneur of the Year and Woman Entrepreneur of the Year awards. We recently won the Business of the Year Grant from Women’s Net with their Amber Grant and Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award. These recognitions are incredibly humbling and motivate me to keep pushing boundaries and exceeding expectations.
ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs is more than just a business; it’s a culmination of my experiences, creativity, and dedication. We use only the freshest ingredients and pour our hearts into crafting every puff, offering a taste of happiness with every bite. The journey has had challenges, but the positive feedback, loyal customers, and industry recognition fuel my fire and make every scoop worthwhile.
I’m excited to see what the future holds for ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my passion with the community. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll see my story inspire other young entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams, just like that little girl selling candy in elementary school!
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows! There have for sure been challenges. One thing has been seasonal fluctuations. Ice cream puffs are amazing in the summer heat, but let’s be honest, not so much in the winter. We’ve had to get creative with marketing and offerings to keep the crowds coming year-round.
Building brand awareness was another hurdle in the beginning. Starting out as a new food truck, it’s tough to get your name out there. Thankfully, being voted top 10 by Yelp and getting featured in the Dallas Morning News helped a ton.
We also struggled to expand our reach because we only had one food truck! We wanted to be at more events and cater parties, but being stuck in one place limited us. That’s why we recently started offering tent setups and even indoor tabletop setups for events. It’s been a great way to reach new customers.
We’ve also found that offering variety on the menu is key. We started with the classic ice cream puff, but people love options! So we added push pops for a fun twist and even experimented with breakfast puffs, which have been a hit.
Of course, there’s always the struggle of maintaining positive cash flow. Especially in the beginning, it took some time to find the sweet spot between pricing, cost of ingredients, and overhead. Competition is another challenge. There are a lot of great food trucks out there, so we have to constantly innovate and find ways to make ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs stand out.
But hey, all those challenges are just part of the journey, right? Honestly, the positive feedback from our customers, the loyal following we’ve built, and the recognition from the industry, like those awards, make every challenge worth it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We’re ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs, a DFW food truck serving up happiness one delicious puff at a time! We started nearly five years ago with a simple but crave-worthy concept: warm donuts stuffed with cold, creamy ice cream and topped with your favorite cereal.
Our mission is to create joy with every bite, and that goes beyond our delicious treats. We plan to expand with more ice cream carts and franchises in the future, bringing smiles to faces all over the DFW area. We’re more than just your average ice cream truck, though. Sure, we’ve got all the classics covered – root beer floats, ice cream cups, and push pops for those hot summer days. But we also like to get creative!
We’ve been experimenting with breakfast puffs, and we’re always looking for new ways to surprise and delight our customers. What truly sets us apart is our passion for using only the freshest ingredients and pouring our hearts into every single creation. We believe that every bite should be a taste of happiness, and we take pride in the quality and care that goes into every puff.
We’re also not afraid to get out there and meet our customers! We love catering events, and if you’re looking for a fun and unique way to wow your guests, we’d love to be a part of your special occasion. So whether you see our bright green truck rolling down the street or catch us at a local festival, be sure to stop by and say hello! We’re always happy to chat and, of course, share a delicious puff or two.
One of the things I’m most proud of brand-wise is how far we’ve come. We started as a dream, a food truck with a big mission to bring something new and exciting to Dallas. In just a short time, we’ve been recognized by Yelp as a top 10 food truck, featured in the Dallas Morning News, and even won awards like the 2024 40 Under 40 and the Business of the Year Grant from Women’s Net.
We hope you’ll come to see what all the buzz is about! We can’t wait to serve you a ZZ’s Ice Cream Puff and share a little taste of happiness with you.
What matters most to you?
It all comes down to creating happiness, not just for myself but for everyone who bites into a ZZ’s Ice Cream Puff. Maybe that sounds cheesy, but hear me out. I truly believe it’s so important that we find our purpose in life. We weren’t put here to slog through boring, unfulfilled days, just counting down the hours till the weekend.
I get it because that was me for a while. I had a decent job, made good money, and even owned a house. But every day felt like a fog, and I was honestly kind of miserable. It took a while to realize that money and things could never fill that void, you know?
Then, I created ZZ’s Ice Cream Puffs. It wasn’t just about the delicious combination of warm donuts, cold ice cream, and crunchy cereal. It was about creating something new, using my creativity to bring a little bit of joy to people’s day. And let me tell you, seeing the smiles on people’s faces, the way their eyes light up after that first bite? That’s what makes it all worth it.
That’s why we put so much love into every puff. We use the freshest ingredients because we want every bite to be a taste of happiness. We’re always looking for new flavor combinations and fun twists because we want to keep surprising our customers. We love catering events because it’s a chance to be part of someone’s special occasion to help create memories that will last a lifetime.
So yeah, creating joy – that’s what matters most to me. Because at that moment, when someone takes a bite of our ice cream puff and their face lights up, well, that makes the world just a little bit brighter. And that’s a pretty sweet purpose if you ask me.
Pricing:
- Food Truck – starts at $2,250 (serves 250 people)
- Tent Setup – starts at $1,500 (serves 150 people)
- Ice Cream Cart – starts at $750 (serves 75 people)
- Indoor Tabletop – starts at $450 (serves 50 people)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zzsicecreampuffs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zzs_icecream_puffs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZZsIceCreamPuffs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikitaseal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zzsicecreampuffs
Image Credits
Chastity – Craye Media
