Stricklands Ice Cream of Costa Mesa

Though there have been countless and more important injustices since then, the late 2018 closure of the Stricklands Ice Cream franchise in Irvine was newsworthy at the time: the parlor operated across the street from UCI for 15 years, using a daily rotating flavor collection to lure customers in for soft serve cones and bowls. When the landlord declined to renew their lease, the franchise owners exited the ice cream business, and their loyal customers were beyond upset. The old Stricklands spot became the first Orange County location of LA’s excellent Saffron & Rose Ice Cream – in our view a net gain – but fans wanted Stricklands back.

In mid-2024, Stricklands returned to Orange County with a shop in Costa Mesa, operated by a new franchisee who loved the original Irvine store enough to change careers and bring it back himself. There’s still a very limited, substantially rotating menu, with four or five total flavors per day: Two are listed in advance on a monthly calendar, sometimes including seasonal flavors such as apple cinnamon and pumpkin (fall), or eggnog and peppermint (around the holidays). On the February weekend after Valentine’s Day, we found vanilla, chocolate, taro, mint Oreo, and pandan coconut available, plus a fridge with pints of chocolate almond, maple nut, lychee, amaretto crunch, cherry vanilla, taro, and pandan ready to take home.