Mom starts ice cream business

RIO RANCHO — Owning an ice cream business has always been a dream for local Salena Allison, and now that dream has become a reality.

“My family would go to the local ice cream shop where I lived in Long Island, and we would visit all the time; just ride our bikes to the ice cream shop. I told myself, ‘Man, one day, I am going to own my own ice cream shop,’” Allison said.

The Brain Freezer is one of Rio Rancho’s newest food trucks on the scene and has been slinging ice cream for patrons throughout the area since the warm summer days.

“I put it off for a long time. You know, I raised a family, three kids, and just decided one day that I was going to buy a trailer and start selling ice cream right here in New Mexico,” Allison said.

Allison, a mother of three, is the only one who works The Brain Freezer ice cream truck, though she did mention that her sister or youngest son will help her out from time to time.

The Brain Freezer offers 22 flavors of scoopable, premium ice cream that are salty, sweet, fruity, decadent, and each flavor also has a snappy name.

“’Raspberry Rhapsody’ is one of my favorites ... I carry other flavors like ‘Exhausted Parent,’ which is very, very popular. It is bourbon-spiked espresso coffee; it doesn’t really have bourbon in it,” Allison said.

Some other popular flavors include the “Fat Elvis” (banana ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate chips), ‘”This $&@! Just Got Serious’” (salted caramel ice cream with sea salt fudge and salted cashews), and “Zanzibar Chocolate” (chocolate ice cream made from three types of cocoa). Also on the menu are dairy free and no-sugar-added options.

As the winter months approach, Allison hopes that everyone remembers that ice cream tastes good every day of the year.

“Why shouldn’t people be eating ice cream during wintertime? I mean, I love ice cream anytime of the year,” Allison jokingly said. “I love it more so in the winter than I do in the summer ... It’s just getting them to come out because I am outdoors.”

The Brain Freezer ice cream truck’s schedule can be found on their Facebook or Instagram. If you would like to hire The Brain Freezer ice truck, reach out on Facebook Messenger.