Brain tumor survivor brings joy to the community with 100 flavors of ice cream
After surviving a brain tumor and domestic violence, Elisa McLean wanted to create a space for people to escape life’s challenges. Her brainchild, Flavors Ice Cream shop in Cary, is that place.
"One of my signs in the store says that if you want nutrition, eat carrots,” she said. That should tell you about Flavors and the richness and the creaminess of the ice cream."
Flavors offers 100 flavors of ice cream, including birthday cake, Superman, coconut almond bliss, exhausted parent, fat Elvis, strawberry cheesecake and many more to wow the taste buds.
"We have 100 flavors, but we rotate them and keep 24 of them in the store at all times," McLean said.
In addition to sampling a scoop, customers at Flavors can experience treats such as sundaes, soda floats, banana splits, iceberg chillers, ice cream sandwiches and a monster or specialty milkshake.
"Working at Flavors has allowed me to become more creative, especially making our signature monster strawberry cheesecake," said Jahnay Coleman, Flavors employee. "Handing the customers their order and seeing the happiness on their faces is why I enjoy working here."
Tavianna Brown, a customer from Raleigh, visited the shop to fulfill her need to satisfy her sweet tooth with one of Flavors' specialty milkshakes.
"I got the Zanzibar, a chocolate brownie and coconut almond, and it was really good,” said Brown. "I came in today because I wanted something sweet and to support a woman's Black business.”
Another family told WRAL News they found Flavors through good reviews on Yelp.
After her health crisis, McLean opened the shop on Jan 8, 2021, to bring the community together and put a smile on people's faces.
"For years, I had a slow-growing tumor that the doctors were monitoring every six months, and it ended up getting so big that it started to press against my brain stem, which affected me in many ways," said McLean. "So I ended up getting emergency surgery at Duke hospital, and the doctor said if I had not gotten surgery within that six months, I wouldn't be here today.
“I have been through a lot, and I just want to bring joy to others; that's the shop's main goal," she said. "They thought I would be paralyzed, blind and lose my hearing from the tumor, but I am here to say today that God is good.”
Along with all the tasty products in the store, customers can purchase apparel, including T-shirts, ice cream-shaped tumblers, candles and more.
Flavors Ice Cream, located at 2831 Jones Franklin Road in Raleigh, is looking to hire; interested individuals can apply on the website.
"I am a people person, I love people, and I love to make people smile, " said McLean. "I love seeing people happy and ice cream is all about happiness and bringing people together."
