The Granclément Ice Cream Shop began its operations in Panama City in 2005. A French couple opened this business that at the time may have been the first artisanal ice cream shop in Panama. They chose Casco Viejo as their location, in a small place located on Avenida Central and Calle 3 or 4. A few years after they opened I moved to Plaza Catedral and of course, I was a customer of theirs.
Panama’s tropical climate warrants cooling stops. I would go to the Granclément Ice Cream Shop, usually buy myself a sorbet and continue walking around the neighborhood. They also sold ice cream in pints in a refrigerator for when you got cravings at home.
Years later I moved from Casco Viejo and so did the Granclément Ice Cream Shop, which selected the MultiPlaza shopping center as its new location. Eventually they returned to Casco Viejo at another location near the Tantalo Hotel. This location also closed during the pandemic and later reopened on Calle 9a east next to Sisu Coffee Studio.
Granclément Ice Cream Shop is part of Foodies
In April 2023, Foodie Specialty Produce Market Panama purchased the Granclément Ice Cream Shop. I contacted them to write this article and they let me interview Mrs. Rosa who has been working with the company since its beginnings in 2005. I asked her what her favorite flavor is and she told me that it has always been rum with raisins and when it is not available she gets coconut.
This ice cream shop has 36 flavors of ice cream. Among their newest flavors are Oreo, Pistachio, and Salted Caramel. Sometimes they come out with new or special flavors, but usually the same options are kept. Ice cream can be ordered in a cone, basket or cup. It is possible to order one, two or three scoops if you dare to try to balance your ice cream! They also have 16-ounce pints for sale on-site, online or at Foodie stores that has exclusive distribution of the brand.
There is a second branch of the Granclément Ice Cream Shop in Santa Maria, located after Costa del Este, where there is also a Foodie. You can find the other Foodie branches in Paitilla, Punta Pacifica, Ocean Reef, Marbella and Costa del Este. It is not possible to find their ice creams in supermarkets.
The ice cream factory is located at the entrance to Casco Viejo. Two people make all the ice cream by hand with programmable pasteurizing machines that can be configured to produce between 60 and 120 liters. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, fruits and cookies are manually chopped to be introduced into ice creams.
The fruits are obtained locally. The menu has fruit flavors such as strawberry, red berries, coconut, passion fruit, soursop, mango and banana. Some options are sorbets that are made with a water base. The ice creams have milk that is Kosher, but is still awaiting certification from the Rabbi. Some of the ice creams you can order are cookies, cinnamon, vanilla, dulce de leche, rocky road, among others. Toppings such as M&Ms, sprinkles, choco chips, marshmallows, almonds or nuts can be placed on top of the ice cream for an extra cost.
Visitors can accompany their ice cream with a drink such as water, soda or soft drinks. They also sell del Lino coffee that can be served as Americano, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Cortado, Expresso and Latte. They have alternative milks such as almond and oat. Make sure to connect to their WiFi network when visiting since the thick wall prevent the cell phone signal from entering the establishment. The Granclément Ice Cream Shop is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.