Bubble Waffle Ice Cream, Matcha Tea and Eco Coffee Hit Smithtown

SMITHTOWN, NY — Rosemarie Uzun and Cinderella Uy are two Smithtown residents with big ideas. The women have transformed a former lumber yard into not one but three food business slated to open this June: Bubble Waffle Ice Cream, Matcha Tea in Heaven and Blue Bean Cafe.

Uzun and Uy come from families long immersed in restaurants and hotels. The two women are mothers of children in Smithtown schools and first had the idea for a healthier family-friendly ice cream shop from their own families.

"The ice cream concept came first," Uzun told Patch.

"Kids after school are always looking for ice cream and I thought there has to be something else, something healthier."

Bubble Waffle Ice Cream was Uzun's answer. The vegan or standard vanilla ice cream base will be infused with fresh fruit that customers can choose. Then patrons can choose their own toppings. Bubble waffle cones are originally from Hong Kong and are fluffy, egg-based waffles that are becoming popular as ice cream cones.

"Cindy [Uy] is very health-conscious" when it comes to sourcing the ingredients, Uzun explains.

"It's a lot of work but it's fun and the ice cream comes out delicious."

The former lumber yard building has been completely gutted and renovated and next to the ice cream shop, Blue Bean Cafe will be a quieter spot for house-roasted coffee and a light food menu.

The coffee shop goes a step beyond sourcing fair trade organic coffee beans. Uy and Uzun will be roasting their own coffee using a zero-emissions, no-gas coffee roaster called the Bellwether. The only other similar machine on Long Island is in Sag Harbor, Uzun says.

"We can say we have farm-t0-cup coffee. You can see how we cook it, right on-site."

Blue Bean Cafe will also serve Uy's home-made shumai dumplings that are served in bamboo baskets.

"She has been making them from scratch for years. They melt in your mouth."

The third storefront is one the two women are especially passionate about. Matcha Made in Heaven will serve bubble milk tea using fresh, high-quality matcha tea.

"We have such a love for matcha," Uzun explains.

"It's very high in antioxidants and good for you but there is a lot of fake matcha," being served.

"We get it from the birthplace of matcha: Kyoto, Japan."

The fresh matcha tea will be made into a variety of drinks like lychee or lemonade matchas.

"We want to change how everyone drinks matcha."

The three businesses have a planned soft opening on June 3 and a grand opening on June 13. Uzun is excited for her neighbors to experience what she's been working on since December 2020.

"We are moms too, and we have put our heart and soul into the planning and the construction. We've made the space look so beautiful and we've put so much time and investment into it," Uzun reflects.