Cocolando churning sweet treats

There’s a new spot in Ocoee that soon will be churning out some sweet treats.

Cocolando Creamery & Cafe, 381 N. Clarke Road., will be holding its grand opening Thursday, Feb. 21. Ocoee’s newest sweet spot serves sundaes, splits and shakes — all made with Cocolando’s signature homemade ice cream. By offering classic flavors such as chocolate, pistachio and butter pecan and other creamy creations such as banana pudding, black raspberry and cookie monster, Cocolando’s owners hope to please almost any palate with their selection.

Vernon Reid co-owns Cocolando with his wife, Veneatra. Vernon Reid grew up in a kitchen doing prep work for his mom and aunts and worked as a caterer before he opened the Ocoee Cocolando, which is the cafe’s second location. The Reids also operate a Cocolando in Oviedo.

“My mother was a very good cook, and my aunts were excellent (cooks),” Vernon Reid said. “When I was young — I grew up in Barbados — I would help my aunt scale fish and clean the fish before we (cooked) it. My mother taught me to make lasagna and chicken and all that sort of stuff.” 

“As long as I’ve known Vernon, he’s had a desire to open up an eatery of sorts,” Veneatra Reid said. 

In addition to traditional homemade ice cream made with milk, Cocolando offers a unique twist to the frozen treat. For those with dietary restrictions when it comes to dairy products, Cocolando offers a selection of ice creams made with coconut milk. The idea of serving ice cream made with coconut milk came from some of the Reids’ personal experiences. Their son has a dairy allergy.

“When our son was born, he couldn’t take milk,” Vernon Reid said. “We wanted to be able to cater to those who may not be able to consume dairy.”

“We had kids who came in recently for the first time who had never had an ice-cream cone before, because they couldn’t have it,” Veneatra Reid said. “To see how excited the kids were and the parents were to see their kids have that ice-cream cone for the first time — those kinds of moments are special for us. They’re moments that make it all worthwhile.”