The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Marked by vivid neon signs and their signature dragon flag in the south side of NYC’s Chinatown is an Ice Cream Shop that’s on the list of places to visit for many food tourists around the world. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory came into fruition over thirty years ago and prides itself on remaining a family run business until this day. Since then, they’ve expanded to three locations around the city and have combined common Asian dessert flavors into their ice cream, such as red bean, pandan, and lychee. Christina Seid is now the co-owner of the family business alongside her father.
The history of their chilled treats include elements of abstract and fabled legends from the Tang Dynasty. With a strong dedication and a passion for delectable desserts, The CICF stands as a beautiful New York landmark. What is their beguiling secret? It's plain and simple; ice cream making is found in their genes.
It’s with great pleasure to share with you a Naïve conversation with Christina Seid.
What prompted your father to specialize in an ice cream business?
Originally, our store was kind of a cafe that sold candy by the pound. My father started looking into selling ice cream around the time when big ice cream places like Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Daaz took off in growth. Starting that ice cream business back then was very ahead of it’s time; the Manhattan back then was very different how it is now.
How did you continue to keep it a family run business?
Everyone had their own motto of what they want their own business to be like. When you put enough time into it, it becomes a piece of art and apart of your family’s history. To be honest, there was a time we tried to sell to the supermarkets for a bit, but we realized it wasn’t our thing because it took value away from the meaning we put into our product. We didn’t want our item to become generic or less than special. I wanted to follow what my father always wanted for the business which was to keep it small and family run, and he actually still comes in to help from time to time.
We’ve also formed a bond with the people in our community and every year they buy our cakes for their special occasions, which makes this family run business worth it. Sometimes it’s hard to work on the holidays but I find it really fulfilling because it means our business is apart of so many people’s lives. People have told me countless times that the cakes we’ve made for them is a treasured memory in their lives.My father still helps run the store, which is actually really nice. we’re such a big part of our community, it’s like if it’s accessible everywhere we’re like not as special or we have less control over the product you just feel like the franchise may mess that stuff up. It just doesn’t feel as special.
People always ask, “oh why do you still wanna come to work, just hire people.” Then I tell them that we have much more control over the goal, the meaning, and the intimacy through a family run business. It’s like having a kid and just hiring nannies for them, it’s not the same because you lose that bond and outcome of your relationship with them just like in this business.
If you could describe yourself as an ice cream flavor, what would you choose and why?
I think rocky road – it’s a little more complex and I think it’s something that’s old fashioned and classic. It’s a good combination and always reminds me of childhood.
Do you have any traditions as a business?
Not necessarily, but I feel the familiarity of getting the same ice cream here feels like home for a lot of people. One of our customers was crying the other day saying, “oh my god I miss Chinatown so much and everyone’s so nice and familiar here,” when she homesick in Boston.
Our best sellers are these very basic ice cream cakes with three layers of flavors. 90% of the time the customers choose from the flavors lychee, red bean, mango, and green tea because that’s what people remember us for. You go to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, you don’t get vanilla. The flavors here make our customer’s feel like, “oh that’s what I remember.” It’s really special, since we’re one of the last stores in Chinatown that have been around this long.
Are there any important, lasting lessons that you’ve picked up along the way?
Working with my father throughout the years allowed us to have a bond and a way to understand each other. We spent so much time at work and built our relationship on that, so he’s not only my father but my business partner.
I hope that I have that with my children because I think that having them so close to me, you’re still spending time together working a job. Of course it was always a catch 22, there was definitely a time where I was like, “dad I hate coming here.” But when you grow older you begin to value the time with your family and that’s what I can appreciate now. with your family and it’s such a good bonding experience. I give my dad a lot of credit.
