About Us

OUR STORY

Dave’s Gourmet Paletas is thrilled to bring a Mexican frozen delight – the “paleta” – to Connecticut!  While a paleta might be a new product to some folks, these colorful homemade ice cream and fresh fruit treats on a stick are wildly popular in Mexico, Brazil, and other parts of Central America. Fairfield’s own Dave Rock, the owner of Dave’s Gourmet Paletas, fell in love with paletas while commuting to and from Miami to visit his then-girlfriend, now wife. He was confident that his local community would love them that he opened Dave’s Gourmet Paletas at the tail end of the global pandemic! Why? Because the paleta offers a refreshing, upscale alternative to the typical franchised ice cream shop. Dave strongly believes that frozen treats should be made daily with fresh ingredients and not mass-produced with additives and preservatives and squeezed out on a tasteless cone. So, Dave hired a chef who earned her degree from Johnson & Wales. They spent months testing all the flavors to ensure the best quality product. He then hired energetic, cool staff members to make the “paleta experience” special for everyone. His first location opened in Fairfield in 2021

Dave's Gourmet Paletas
Dave's Gourmet Paletas

Luckily, the response was overwhelming!  Customers flocked to this new, colorful shop with endless questions.  What is a paleta?  Do you have vegan flavors?  What do you offer that is gluten-free?  And what the heck is Chamoy???  Much of the time, you will find that Dave is there personally to greet patrons and answer all of your questions.  Yes, these artisanal treats are hand-crafted daily by our chef who makes them on premises with zero additives or preservatives, and all natural ingredients.  Yes, we have something for everyone – including those with allergies, nutritional limitations, and special dietary choices. And yes, it is a three-step process:  1) Choose your paleta, 2) select one of our amazing homemade dips, and finally, 3) garnish it with a variety of fun toppings from crushed pretzels to coconut flakes to toffee.  Yum!
We hope you will come check us out and taste for yourself.  If you’re like us – you’ll never go back to commercial ice-cream ever again…