Success story: Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops

St Augustine businessman, Stephen DiMare, is growing his company again. The popsicle maker is looking to grow its retail presence in general, as Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops prepares to open its fifth shop in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood.

Historic City News readers are familiar with the popular Hyppo downtown St Augustine location on Hypolita Street at the intersection with Charlotte Street. It was four years ago when DiMare began freezing unconventional flavored liquids around a stick and serving them to friends. The company has made a name for itself by offering hundreds of flavor combinations from avocado coconut, ginger plum and mango chia to cucumber lemon mint and blood orange cheesecake.

“We have been getting into grocery stores such as Earth Fare and, soon, Winn-Dixie, to make our products more accessible,” DiMare told Jacksonville Business Journal reporter Andrew Thurlow in an interview published today. “Earth Fare has agreed to sell our products at all their stores, and we’ve already agreed to an order for 70 Winn-Dixie markets. We’re just waiting on the process from distribution.”

According to the Business Journal report, the company also has a contract with Intuition Ale Works to produce beer-flavored popsicles for the company’s taproom, as well as one at the University of Florida, where they sell orange juice and blue berry flavored popsicles to Gator fans in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“We would really like to make a wave and bring healthier and fresher and better tasting popsicles to stores everywhere,” he said. “We’re on the fringe of new products, and we’re hoping to be able to drive these changes within the frozen novelty industry.”

Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops is in the final stages of signing a lease for a 1,200-square-foot spot in Brooklyn Station; the Regency Centers Corp. shopping center off Riverside Avenue. Its new location will be in the same building as Zoe’s Kitchen and Burrito Gallery. DiMare anticipates the store will be open by early April.