This summer, another player will join Falls Church’s frozen dessert game when Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogurt opens on South Washington Street in The Little City. The new store will be located next to Smashburger in the recently-renovated Washington Commons shopping center.
Hoping to set itself apart from the plethora of other ice cream and frozen yogurt shops in F.C., Sub Zero comes to the scene with a unique way of preparing its frozen treats: liquid nitrogen. The process begins with a selection of a base (options include premium, custard, non-dairy, low-fat, yogurt or rice and soy milk) and then the flavors (there’s over 47 options that Sub Zero says can be used for over a trillion combinations) and mix-ins. And finally, all of the above is combined into a metal bowl and then blasted with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -321 degrees. Using this method, customers are also able to choose the texture of their ice cream from soft serve to rock hard.
Originating in Provo, Utah, Sub Zero along with its founders, Jerry and Naomi Hancock, were featured on TV’s Shark Tank in 2012. While the entrepreneurs didn’t secure a deal on the show, the franchise is apparently doing well, with 30 locations currently in operation and another 30 slated to open this year.
Sub Zero is planning to open at 310 South Washington Street in Falls Church this July.