4 minute read
Three Scoops for Sweet Revenge
Three Scoops for Sweet Revenge
SWEET EMOTION OFFERS VEGAN, ALLERGEN-FREE ICE CREAM TREATS FOR MUSIC LOVERS
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By Amanda Hadlock
Seth Kean had zero experience making ice cream when he started up Sweet EMOtion, the ice cream parlor in the back of the rino offering up “sweet treats and sad jams,” often in collaboration with artists performing at the venue.
“Sweet EMOtion started kind of out of boredom,” says Kean. “I put on concerts for a living, and during the pandemic, I was losing my mind because I had no career.”
Kean says he had almost a decade of barista experience before he went into booking and promoting concerts but has always had a passion for both music and food. The pandemic allowed him the time to marry these two interests by starting up Sweet EMOtion.
“I almost went to culinary school before I went into doing shows,” Kean says. “So, it was kind of like opening up this whole new creative outlet that I forgot I had with baking.”
When Kean first set out with his ice cream business, it was important to him to offer options that were vegan and allergen friendly. As an ice cream lover himself, he had noticed the lack of options for those who cannot consume gluten or dairy. He wanted to develop an array of flavors, including homemade toppings and mix-ins such as brownies, cookie dough, and caramel sauce—all made without using dietary allergens. To add to this feat, Kean rolls out a new featured flavor weekly to keep the menu dynamic.
“It’s a challenge because, yeah, I could go buy stuff,” says Kean. “But doing these things vegan, making them dairy- and eggfree, all of that is really cool because it’s a whole challenge in itself. It’s not as easy as just running to the store and buying it from a grocer.”
The original Sweet EMOtion location is in Springfield, MO, in the Outland Ballroom ticketing booth, which Kean converted into the ice cream parlor. He says he’s working on moving that location to its own brickand-mortar shop around the corner, as the ticketing booth can only accommodate so much.
The popularity of the Springfield location led to a pop-up event in Kansas City in 2021, which sold out within 30 minutes. For a second pop-up event, Kean brought three times as much product and sold out in an hour and a half. It was clear there was a demand for a permanent location in KC, and since he books shows at local venues such as recordBar, the Bottleneck, and the Truman, starting a second Sweet EMOtion location in the metro seemed like a natural business move.
The KC location, in the rear of the Rino, celebrated its one-year anniversary in January 2023 with a pop punk/emo karaoke event and signature ice cream flavors such as Post-Emo, featuring Post Coffee Company espresso. Emo tribute band Zero Zero from Springfield, MO, also played a set.
Many menu items are named with puns on band or song names, such as the recently released flavor “Crunch! No, Captain Crunch!” Or holiday seasonal favorite “Sugar Cookie, We’re Going Down.” Other fun flavor names include “The Strawberry So Far” and “Jimmy Eat Swirl.” Kean says he keeps a running list of possible music puns on his phone for future flavor inspo.
While Kean has fun with easily recognized music references, it is also important to him to collaborate on flavors with local musicians to help promote music from the up-and-coming artists he often books for events.
“Now, with shows being back, it’s a cool collab where we allow the bands I book to make their own customized ice creams, and we sell them for one night only,” says Kean. “It’s been an absolute blast, and the bands all love it.”
Kean splits his time between the Springfield and KC locations prepping for the week and working hands-on in the parlor, side-by-side with his staff.
“I want to be present,” Kean says.
His presence is especially important since the business is on the verge of several expansions. In addition to the Springfield location moving into its own space, the Kansas City location will soon see a new all-vegan food menu featuring items such as burgers and fries. This venture is in collaboration with the owners of the Rino and will be called Leaf Eater: A Plant-Based Dive.
With angst in their hearts and sugar goin’ down (the hatch), Seth Kean and the staff at Sweet EMOtion are building an inclusive ice cream empire with options for everyone, and local musicians provide the soundtrack for their success.
