
Paleta Power
Mexican popsicles are tasty enough to win over new franchisees at Morelia Gourmet Paletas
At Morelia Gourmet Paletas, donโt expect your grandadโsโor anyoneโs grandadโsโpaletas. With eight popular storefronts in South Florida including the original Coral Gables location, it has perfected its own way to recreate Mexicoโs famously handcrafted ice cream treats.
The key is variety: โWe have at least a million combinations here,โ says co-owner Alex Kassab (there are six others) about his artisanal shop, now available for franchise opportunities. โYou could come in every day for a year, and never munch the same paleta.โ
Traditionally, authentic Mexican paletas, whether water or milk-based, are not whipped while freezing (like ice cream or sherbet). Instead, palateros hand mold them, fit them with a stick, and leave them to harden in a freezer. โOur small batch paletas come in three categories,โ Kassab explains: fruity (no dairy, with chunky fruit flavors like mango or passion fruit), creamy (with a consistency and intensity like gelato), and filled (with unexpected combinations like Nutella inside banana).
But with its three-stage concept (โpick it, dip it, top itโ), Morelia elevates and redefines the traditional rustic paleta. โWe normally offer around 16 ice cream or iced fruit seasonal flavors on any given day,โ says Kassab. But thatโs just the base. To enhance the experience for each customer, a palatero customizes the next two stepsโdip and top. The dip, usually white or dark chocolate, is followed by the topping, drawn from a range of confections, from cookie crumbles to nut crunch. The sโmores finish, Kassab insists, is the epitome of Morelia sublimity: โItโs creamy marshmallow fluff, which we torch.โ
The idea for Morelia was born in 2013, when the founders, a group of friends living in Brazil with their young families, noticed a booming trend. โMexican paletas were everywhere,โ Kassab says. โThey were freshly made with exotic fruit, and easy to find in places like convenience storeโa perfect snack.โ Hooked, they decided to try making them at home. โHow hard could it be?โ Kassab recalls now, laughing. Their hobby led to weekly paleta competitions among the families. โIt was all in good fun. The children judged the flavors,โ Kassab remembers, adding that, in truth, the early attempts were not always pretty. โWeโve learned a lot since then.โ
We chose the name Morelia to honor the heritage of paletas, which legend has it, first were made in the Mexican state of Michoacรกn. Morelia is the state capital. โ Alex Kassab
Eventually, the crew of paleta-lovers, now co-owners, perfected their product, developing their distinctive โthree-stepโ concept, which took the frosty snack to a new level. โWe chose the name Morelia to honor the heritage of paletas, which legend has it, first were made in the Mexican state of Michoacรกn,โ said Kassab. โMorelia is the state capital.โ
Morelia chose the Miami area for its first paleta stop because the partners were looking for a place that had โsummer 365 days of the year, and a mix of cultures naturally open to new things,โ Kassab says. โWhen we opened our first store in Coral Gables, in 2016, we were simply proud of our product,โ he says. โBut right away, we discovered that that paletas were not the only thing we were selling. Our secret ingredient was the experience we offered.โ
Now heโs encouraging others to share the paleta experience. Future palateros may inquire about signing up with the Morelia brand, thanks to a newly offered franchise opportunity as Morelia expands its easy-to-replicate model. Franchise fees start at $25,000, with additional licenses available for $20,000. Overall startup costs come in at around $88,100 and up, depending on model (kiosk or retail) and size of location.
Kassab says Morelia is about selling a culture as much as cashing in on creamy goodness. He notes that guests donโt just drop into the store, grab an ice cream bar and leave. โMost people enjoy the ritual of the interactive process,โ he says, โincluding their conversation with the paletero. Most often, they sit down and stay for a while. Morelia has become a social occasion, an extension of their day.

Portraits by Larry Wood