From the time he was a child in Venezuela, Christopher Garrido had an idea that he would be an entrepreneur. And it all started with an ice-cream cone.
But this is not the happy ending kind of story you might be imagining. It started that way – Garrido’s family had gone to the ice-cream store for a treat, something quite rare because they were not a family of excessive means. So the young Christopher was rightly excited about getting something sweet to eat with his family.
They got him a nine-flavor ice-cream cone – stacked so high, he remembers, that it was almost taller than he was. However, the worst happened when the ice cream tumbled, causing Garrido to lose quite a bit of his ice cream and a lot of his good time.
Fast forward to today, and Garrido is now part of the Grosse Pointe Woods community through a restaurant he runs with his wife, Vanessa Gonzalez. Their bistro is known for its Venezuelan food and its extreme hot chocolates and milkshakes.
The reason they created these extreme treats – picture a tower of goodies including ice cream, brownies, cookies and more – is because of Christopher’s childhood memory. But they keep everything glued together with chocolate or marshmallow so no child has to lose out on any part of this wondrous dessert.
The extreme hot chocolate and milkshakes have been social-media darlings, showing up on lots of Twitter and Instagram timelines. The restaurant continues to go bigger and better, enjoying the reaction of their long-time customers and new people when they come in the door to order the special ice-cream master works.
With Michigan’s sizzling summers, knowing where to find the best cones, frozen desserts, and mountainous sundaes is key to surviving high temperatures. Metro Detroit is home to a variety of family-owned-and-operated ice cream and custard shops that will have something for everyone. Garrido’s is making lots of sweet dreams come true with its unique inspirations.
