Serving extravagant and primarily Mexican-inspired sweet treats along with some savory items, Los Freseros Paleteria opened three months ago in Ben Lomond by Elizabeth Ramirez and her husband Hugo Moreles. Born and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico, Ramirez worked in the market her parents owned there before she immigrated and settled in Santa Cruz, saying she loves the natural blended beauty of forest and ocean.
The duo had long wanted to open their own business, finding inspiration from indulgent desserts on social media combined with an intentional focus on exceptional hospitality. Los Freseros is described by Ramirez as a dessert destination, happy and exciting with a colorful baby blue/baby pink/light yellow scheme blended with wood paneling and floors.
Signature menu items start with the popular concha ice cream sandwich with choice of flavor and the Manzana Loca, a fresh green apple covered in chamoy, tajín, gummy treats and fresh fruit. In addition to ice cream flavors like rainbow sherbert, coffee almond fudge and homemade mango, they also serve myriad popsicles and classic crepes with Nutella, banana and strawberries. Some savory faves include the Maruchan Loca (ramen noodles with fresh corn) and Tostilocos (choice of chips paired with pickled pork, jicama and cucumber).
Describe your passion for customer service.
ELIZABETH RAMIREZ: For people to come back into a setting, it’s very important to be kind and sweet and make them feel welcome. When my husband and I would go to other eateries, both here and in Mexico, and would ask for special items, we would kind of get a bad face and not be accommodated. That inspired me to want to create a business that was happy to customize and cater to specific guest preferences. We place high importance on hospitality and kindness.
How have you been received by the community?
They have been really welcoming and have motivated us to keep going. Since we opened, guests often say how happy they are to have a local ice cream shop and we already have loyal regular customers who are becoming friends of the business. We ask about each other’s lives and are really getting to know each other on a personal basis. We’ve been honored and humbled becoming a part of the Ben Lomond community and look forward to continuing to plants our roots here and grow those relationships.
7985 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, 831-833-5370; paleterialosfreseros.com
