In 2004, Summer Bicknell was working for corporate America in Nashville, TN. She knew she needed a change. After a weekend visit to the local artisan pop shop, she quit her job and made plans to travel to Mexico to learn to make paletas. She apprenticed in the town of Tlazazalca in southwestern Mexico.
On a trip up the East Coast, Summer stopped for gas in Durham and decided it was the right place for her new paletas venture. She named it Locopops because her parents thought she had gone loco, quitting her job to make pops. Together with business partner Connie Semans, Summer has opened Locopops storefronts (currently on Hillsborough Road in Durham, just west of Ninth Street), developed a mobile cart for events, and sold Locopops through dozens of local stores.
Locopops flavors include “regulars” which are always available and “guest stars” which are available for a limited time. There are cream-based pops and juice-based pops, the latter of which are vegan. Current flavors (July 2015) include Cookies and Cream, Mexican Chocolate, and Strawberries and Cream (cream-based), and Grape Limeade, Mojito, and Raspberry Hibiscus (juice-based).
Visit Locopops online at http://www.ilovelocopops.com/.