The jazzy, lively and inclusive New Orleans-themed ice cream shop Fluffy’s Sno-Balls has been the target of vandalism for the third time in the past four months.
Founder and owner Kevyn Lee captured video footage of an unidentified man riding up to the shop on Friday, Aug. 15 on an electric scooter and kicking the front window until it shattered. The man was holding a large binder which he also used to break the window.
“It’s like someone breaking into your home and no longer feeling safe at home,” Lee said. “Now that you know you’ve been violated … and along Long Beach Boulevard it just boggles my mind how blatant someone can be.”
Lee said that he suspects the person was attempting to break in, but once he saw that the window was double paned, it became too complicated.
“We’re not like a high profile store, all you would get is chips and frozen ice out of it,” Lee said. “We don’t even leave money in the register, so to come here and vandalize the store, just creates a bigger headache and puts a financial strain on the business.”
This is the most recent incident in a chain of events that Lee called “emotionally taxing” on him and his husband Darren Wellington, who runs the shop with Lee. The first incident occurred in May, when a man came to the shop and started to steal a speaker that was playing jazzy music onto the street.
According to Lee, once he confronted the man, the man attempted to use an aerosol can and a lighter to set Lee on fire. Lee grabbed the can out of his hand, and said the two were “tussling” in front of the shop. A customer inside Fluffy’s Sno-Balls called the cops and Lee was able to press charges against the man.
About a month later, a woman came into the shop acting “belligerent,” Lee said. He once again had to call the Long Beach Police Department and pressed charges. The next day Lee found that someone had broken one of the shop’s windows.
The vandalism on Aug. 15 is the fourth incident this year.
“This has been very unfortunate that we keep having these series of events where we do so many things publicly within the community, everyone knows we’re here yet we’re still being targeted [for] vandalism,” Lee said. “I don’t want to leave but if I constantly have to know, shell out money to be secure in this area, I’m left with no choice. And not just that—it’s just the mental anguish and anxiety it also brings.”
Since opening his first location on Long Beach Boulevard in April 2021, Lee has used his shop as a means to help the community. The snowball shop claims to offer the largest flavor selection in California, including options for people who are diabetic, vegan or on other special diets.
He exclusively hires local high schoolers, offering them paid internships up to 120 hours, which can then turn into a permanent position. His shop has also held “beat the heat” events, offering residents free iced treats for hours to help deal with heat waves.
Lee said one of his main concerns is the safety of the high school students that work for him.
“We’re a small Black and gay business that’s of the people and for the people,” Lee said. “And you know, we continue to look out for the community and we just ask that the community look out for us if they see anything that’s out of the ordinary.”
Fluffy’s Sno-Balls is located at 1208 Long Beach Blvd and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during winter. The shop closes at 8 p.m. during spring and summer.
