The inspiration to take after his grandparents, who owned two Baskin Robbins shops, and be more involved in the Seabrook community fueled Dylan Lirette to open Space City Cow in late 2024.
Since then, Lirette has crafted over 90 flavors to feature in monthly rotations with a handful of everyday favorites and seasonal creations that are always available.
What's special about it?
Every batch of ice cream at Space City Cow is handmade daily and only five gallons of one flavor are produced at a time, according to the business's website.
Each flavor also has a distinct base, rather than starting from a traditional vanilla or chocolate base, Lirette said.
"For example, we have like a Cajun influence because I'm from Louisiana, so we'll have Bananas Foster. It's actually like Bananas Foster in the ice cream," he said. "Our motto is 'taste the difference' because it's different. When you taste it, it's not just a regular ice cream."
Lirette also wanted the shop to have an "old-school vibe," a theme he felt was missing in the Seabrook area.
"They didn't have anything like that on that side of the lake, so I saw kind of a need for it there," he said.
On the menu
Space City vanilla, chocolate, scrumptious strawberry, mint chocolate chip and exclusive specialty flavors are always available, according to the business's website.
For first-time customers, Lirette pointed to a few customer-favorites, which included cookie butter craze, bananas foster and Dr. Pepper.
No matter which flavors customers choose, Lirette hopes they come in the shop and feel at home in a comfortable atmosphere.
"When you walk in, you feel like you’re family," he said. "It’s just got this comfortable vibe ... you feel like you’re not just another person, but ... part of our family."
Looking ahead
Space City Cow will be celebrating its two-year anniversary in the fall, and will continue to grow its catering side with two ice cream trucks for birthday parties, weddings, company events and church events, which functions as extra storefronts.
While Lirette acknowledged the challenges it takes to run a business, he said he remains grateful that he was able to stick to his main goal of giving back to the community, one scoop at a time.
“It doesn’t even matter about all the other technical stuff ... it’s more about what I’ve been able to do for the community, and the response of knowing that at least I’ve helped a few people and changed a few lives," he said. "That’s what makes me feel accomplished."
