Mexicandy opens 2nd outpost in Riverhead
The crepa, or crepe, with two scoops of Mexicandy's strawberry ice cream at their new second location in Riverhead. Credit: Newsday/Melissa Azofeifa
Opening a second location in the same town might seem like an unusual move for the business owner of an already successful ice cream shop. But co-owner Chris Aguilar and his family saw an opportunity and took it.
Mexicandy, the popular authentic Mexican ice cream spot, opened its second outpost on 749 Old Country Rd. in Riverhead in Riverhead Plaza. The opening comes three years after the launch of the original location on East Main Street, which opened in 2023.
This second location was in the works for about a year and a half, Aguilar said. He was "kind of on edge about it," because both locations were within the same town, but the move has "made sense so far," stating that this year has been busier than last year at his original East Main Street location.
"It just kind of seemed like the right fit," Aguilar said. "There’s such a demand for this type of product in this specific town."
The menu is the same as the original East Main Street location and includes the mangonada ($19.14 for a 24-ounce medium), an over-the-top mango slushy with chili powder and salt, ice pops, ice creams, aguas frescas and Mexican candies. Mexicandy also offers the crepe ($17.79). Other specialties include Mexican street corn or esquites and chicharon preparado, which is loaded with pork belly, lettuce, tomato, Mexican sour cream and cheese.
There is seating for about 16 guests at this store, compared to the original East Main Street location, which has 12.
The interior decoration is vibrant, modern and on theme. To enter, guests walk across a yellow arch with intermittent colorful lighting making it look and feel like a rainbow. The green, red and yellow wall has backlit 3D images of the Mexican ice cream shops popular items such as paletas and handmade ice cream. The lighting fixtures are shaped like watermelon, kiwis and strawberries — even the trash receptacle is shaped like ice cream.
"We’re not the store when you’re going to come in, see white walls, boring wooden tables, boring wooden chairs," Aguilar said. "We’re just not flat, we’re fun, we’re different, we’re new and we hope to keep always being new. We don’t ever want to be outdated."
Mexicandy, 749 Old Country Rd., Riverhead, 631-369-6160, paleteriamexicandy.com. Open 12 to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 12 to 10:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
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