Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1495070
By Randy Rice Special to West Washington County Guide "Pedal Pops was inspired by my childhood dream to own an ice cream shop," explained Mike ompson, owner and self-dubbed "Chief Pops Officer" of Pedal Pops. "e ice cream shop is a place in my memory where people were always happy, arriving with eagerness and leaving with big smiles as they tasted their frozen treats." Pedal Pops was founded in August 2011 in Bentonville. Over the past 12 years, the business has transitioned from Bentonville to Fayetteville, and then Farmington. "Pedal Pops are all-natural, frozen fruit pops, lightly sweetened with stevia, that contain no artificial ingredients, sweeteners, colors, thickening agents or added water," ompson said. "We use only fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables to provide tasty, full-flavored pops." Pedal Pops began as Northwest Arkansas' first food tricycle. "Our startup funds were limited, so we got creative with investing in renting commercial kitchen space for production and a tricycle to sell our pops to customers," he said. e tricycle was Mike's nod at the nostalgia of growing up in the '60s and '70s, and it also felt like a natural complement to the small-town charm of downtown Bentonville, he said. "e name Pedal Pops reflects the literal tricycle pedaling to 'peddle' or sell pops to customers. Over a decade later, we are still invested in all natural frozen fruit pops and have expanded our offerings," ompson said. "We opened Pedal Park in the summer of 2022, a community gathering space and food truck village in Farmington that is also home to the Pedal Pops production kitchen." Since Pedal Pops are typically fruit-based and the taste of the fruits can vary slightly with each lot, they only add just enough stevia to bring out the natural flavors and avoid a distinct aertaste. e pops range from flavors such as Just Strawberry, Blackberry Pineapple Mango and Mango Chamoy. "We like to share the flavors we discover on our international travels to delight and challenge customers' palates," he said. "We are also known for our exotic experiments, creating unusual flavors such as Miso Mango, Jalapeno Watermelon Tomato, or even Watermelon Gazpacho." Pedal Pops have as much whole fruit as they can squeeze Pedal Pops brings Pedal Park to Farmington Courtesy photo Ad Number: 040523nwr6321 https://www.shelterinsurance.com/ At Shelter Insurance®, we're proud to have one of the soundest financial statements in the business. So if you like the idea of working with a company with rock solid financial footing, you've come to the right place. Ask me how our shield can help protect you! We're your Shield. We're your Shelter. ShelterInsurance.com The Strength of our Shield! ® AUTO • HOME • LIFE JT Finley 2142 N College Ave Fayetteville, AR 72703 479-521-4220 JFinley@ShelterInsurance.com 2023 West Washington County Directory | 11