In a 2024 survey by the International Dairy Foods Association, 97 percent of survey respondents said they love or like ice cream. That majority will soon have a new sweet treat option when Salt & Straw, the ice creamery known for its unique flavor profiles, comes to Coronado this spring.
Founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, Coronado’s Salt & Straw will be located at 1303 Orange Avenue, between Stake Chophouse and Better Buzz Coffee. This will be their fourth location San Diego County, and Kim notes that it’s been in the works for three years. Originally from Montana, she has fond memories of coming to Coronado with her family while growing up and is excited to be opening on Orange Ave.
When asked how the company originally came together, Kim shared that her background is in business and communication, and she was one of the early employees at Starbucks when there were only 30 stores. She had the initial idea in 1996 as a place where people could gather together over joy, and she knew ice cream would be the perfect connector. After all, her cousin Tyler, who attended culinary school and lived in her basement, whipped up amazing creations in his ice cream maker from Goodwill. She finally took the leap in 2011, holding garage sales and cashing in her 401K to finance the dream. Just a few years after the first Salt & Straw launched in Portland, Tyler was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the Food and Drink category. The company has grown organically to 54 stores in Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and California, with the busiest location in Downtown Disney.
The family-owned company does have several investors, including Dwayne Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia, who Kim says show up as real investors and even help create flavors; as well as early investor and advisor Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer…