A cool addition to town: Sumter's Vampire Penguin serves up a variety of shaved snow desserts

As the summer heat settles over Sumter, a new business on Bultman Drive is offering residents a cold, colorful way to cool down.

Vampire Penguin, owned by Melissa Clark, serves shaved snow desserts in flavors ranging from strawberry cheesecake to chocolate overload.

Clark, a Sumter native, moved away when she was 14 and has lived in different parts of the country before settling down in Aiken for more than 20 years.

When it came time to explore the new business venture, she said Sumter was the right choice because she wanted to bring something different to the community. The location, 661 Bultman Drive, was a prime spot given the traffic and number of businesses already along the corridor.

Since opening, she said Sumter has embraced the shop.

"It's been phenomenal," Clark expressed. "Sumter has broken records. I was only open three weeks in April, and I beat out most Vampire Penguins that have been open longer. Sumter has been really, really good to me."

The Item spoke with Clark about the business, its unique name, its early success and what customers can expect when they walk through the door.

Vampire Penguin is certainly a unique name. Can you tell us the story behind the name and what attracted you to the concept?

Clark said Vampire Penguin is a franchise based out of California and founded by the San Luis brothers, Paolo and Leo. The name comes from the company's branding and story of Vampire Penguin, a penguin who lives in the North Pole - a rarity - along with his "large and lingering" friend, a walrus who also thinks he's a vampire (though he isn't). Vampire Penguin is also in love with a "strong and beautiful" polar bear named Paula Bear.

"Stylishly eerie, Vampire Penguin rules the polar skies, but behind his nonchalant eyes, Vampire Penguin truly misses his penguin family, longs to be with them," the website reads. "Hence, he conjures delicious shaved snow magic to bring friends and families together."

Inside the Sumter shop, customers can also find books that tell the story of the vampire penguin character.

What drew Clark in were the sweet treats.

"I love their products. You'll see when you taste it," she assured. "It's very, very good."

For readers who haven't visited yet, what does Vampire Penguin offer, and what makes it different from a traditional ice cream or dessert shop?

Vampire Penguin serves shaved snow, which Clark described as light, fluffy and different from a snow cone or traditional ice cream. Though it may be new to residents, the sweet treat reminded Clark of her childhood.

"It used to snow a lot when I was a kid, and my grandma would make us go outside and get snow, bring it in and put vanilla with it. We'd stir it [and call it] snow cream," she shared. "That's why I bought into this, because I love that it reminds me of my childhood [and] of my grandmother."

She said the desserts are light, low calorie and low fat, with gluten-free and dairy-free options available, depending on toppings.

"It's very light and fluffy, so it doesn't feel like when you eat ice cream," she explained. "It's good, yummy, and no matter who you are, you'll love it."

How long have you been open, and what has the response from the community been like so far?

At the time of the interview in early June, Vampire Penguin was in its seventh week of business after a soft opening.

"It's been a whirlwind of craziness," she described.

Still, she said the response has been better than she imagined. Along with breaking records in customer attendance within three weeks of opening in April, she also has reconnected with the place she calls home.

"I could not be happier with people in Sumter."

What have been some of your most popular menu items or customer favorites since opening?

Just within seven weeks of being fully open and operational, customers have quickly found favorites.

Some of the most popular items include strawberry cheesecake, Carolina Mint Crunch, chocolate overload, Miami Vice Monkey and peach cobbler.

For Clark, her personal favorites are the chocolate-based flavors, especially chocolate overload and peanut butter cup.

She also created, with the help of her staff, Duchess Delight, which includes pineapple and mango snow, granola, orange syrup, pineapple and strawberry boba.

For first-timers, Clark said they should decide whether they want something fruity or chocolatey. But her larger recommendation is simple: Come in with an open mind.

"My favorite thing to do is when people come in and say, 'I don't like snow cones,' I go, 'Well, it's not a snow cone.'"

Looking ahead, what are your goals for the business? Are there any new menu items, events or future plans customers can look forward to?

Clark said she is working on launching a Vampire Penguin trailer and hopes to have it ready earlier than originally planned because of the demand for the business at local events.

She also plans to change flavors seasonally, including adding fall options. Because the menu can change, she said the best way for customers to keep up is to come in and see what's available.

She wants the shop to be more than a dessert stop for patrons. She wants it to be an experience.

"No matter what kind of day you're having and what you're going through in your life, when you come in here, you can always be happy," she said. "We all go through our own [things], and sometimes you just need a sweet treat."