Veteran ice cream maker Patrick ‘Mr. P’ Victor, along with his two sons, Dwayne Regrello and Shaquille Victor, run the popular ice cream shop called Mr P’s Homemade Ice Cream. It’s located at 1397 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean.
Mr. P’s opened this January with fascinating custard-based and vegan flavors like soursop, sorrel ginger, charcoal, coconut, avocado, butter pecan, coffee, and grapenut.
The family is originally from Trinidad and settled in New York decades ago. As a teenager, Victor learned to make ice cream in his hometown back on the island from an elder. He and his friends soon started their own ice cream business in Trinidad. Victor immigrated to New York City and began working as an adult, but he never forgot his first passionate business venture. When Victor, now in his 60s, got an opportunity last year to scout a space for a shop, he wasted no time.
Regrello, 31, immigrated to the States after his father in 1999. He lives in Long Island but works full-time with his father. He said initially he didn’t know that his father was making ice cream, but the taste reminded him of his native country. He and his brother help out with social media, deliveries, and running the family business.
“I’ve always had a passion for being an entrepreneur and I always had lots of ideas,” said Regrello. “I also have a passion for just seeing people happy, being around that type of energy, and seeing people try the ice cream and being blown away.”
Regrello said that Brooklyn’s large community of Caribbean business owners reminds him of home as well.
In honor of Brooklyn’s Labor Day weekend, which usually means joyous and colorful celebrations of Caribbean heritage and a yearly parade, Regrello said that they have special flavors available for discount up until September 9. The shop is featuring ice cream flavors like Little Caribbean lemon ginger and mango. Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.