Rice pudding store opens in north Scottsdale
October 1st, 2008, 8:40 pm · 7 Comments · posted by Jess Harter
The all-American ice cream shop has gotten a lot of competition in recent years from gelato, frozen yogurt and shaved ice.
Now comes the latest entry in the cold-treat market: Rice pudding.
Miami Rice Pudding Company recently opened in the Promenade shopping center on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright in north Scottsdale.
The 1,000-square-foot store offers rice pudding in three dozen flavors, including chocolate, blueberry, coffee and carrot cake.
“It has two-thirds less fat than ice cream and half the calories,” says store owner Susan Amerine (pictured above behind counter).
• Check out the menu at Miami Rice Pudding Co. (pdf)
The Miami Rice Pudding concept was launched two years ago in Denville, N.J., when retired police officer Ken McEvoy decided to share his wife’s rice pudding recipe with dessert lovers of the Garden State.
The store’s first franchise location opened in Sarasota, Fla. The Scottsdale shop, which took over a former Marble Slab Creamery, is the second franchise.
Amerine and her husband, Stoney, plan to open another Miami Rice Pudding at Chandler Crossroads in mid-November, as well as two in north Phoenix by the end of the year.
As many as 20 flavors of rice pudding are available on any given day. The most popular, Susan Amerine says, are original, cinnamon bun, coconut cream, cheesecake.
“We’re big on (free) samples,” Amerine says. “If you get too full to order something, that’s OK.”
The rice pudding comes in six sizes, ranging from 3.5-ounce cups starting at $2.05 to a five-compartment, Lazy Susan-style party pack for $27.95.
Sixteen toppings, from chocolate sprinkles to graham cracker crumbs, are offered.
The menu also includes smoothies and frozen yogurt, as well as several signature “Creations,” some of which combine rice pudding and frozen yogurt.
Business, so far, has been good, especially on weekends, Amerine says.
“There are three things people spend money on,” she says. “Kids, pets and food.”
Miami Rice Pudding Co.
Where: 16455 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale (southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Rice pudding $2.05-$27.05, smoothies $3.85-$4.85, frozen yogurt $2.85-$4.80
Info: (480) 663-3371 or miamiricepuddingco.com.
October 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pm
A rice pudding store? I had to check my calendar to see if it was April first instead of October first. I think the EVT pulled this one right off the Onion’s website.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:39 am
This place is great! Ultra delicious and really friendly! Thanks Jess!!
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Been there and so glad I’ve done that! Unbelievabe Idea! delish! this is gonna be a hit. Very friendly people and a warm and friendly environment. I’ll be back.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:09 pm
everything about this article is FALSE.
October 4th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Hey y’all, this Miami Rice Pudding is such a super friendly, super healthy place…I love it there!! Over a dozen flavors…and I grew up hating rice pudding, until I tried theirs!! Now I crave their treats pretty often with out feeling guilty because I know it’s much better than going to a well known creamery, such as Cold Stone or Baskins and Robins.
Although, Stoney and Susan A. are not a married couple, I know them personally. Also, this store is owned by Gene Scott and Stoney, they are cousins.
I find it extremely offending that you don’t mention Gene at all in this article, who is a good friend of mine. Gene is a deaf man who opened a successful business with his cousin…share the credit please!!
October 4th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
this is not a false ad. This is a real store. Go check it out
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Some things in the article are untrue! The owner is Gene, Susan’s last name is not Amerine. The truth of the article is the delicious pudding!