Shakes, smoothies, sundaes, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and, of course, many different toppings. This is the menu of the newest frozen treat spot in Nipomo–Pam’s Place.
Centrally located in the Tefft Center across from the post office, Pam’s Place is attracting customers from all over the Central Coast.
“It’s great to have a place I can come to and grab a quick snack on the way back from school [Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo]. It’s really conveniently located, and it’s good,” said Santa Maria resident Samuel Meza after ordering the Caribbean Cruise smoothie.
Pam Houim is the owner of the frozen treat shop. Although she now has her dream job, it was a long time coming. In 2009, her mother died, and she moved from Spokane, Wash., to the Central Coast to be with her father. While she really enjoyed it, it turned out to be a huge adjustment.
In Washington, she enjoyed working in the grocery business for many years; however, the sudden move to California forced her to resign. Houim struggled to find new employment, and would frequently use her time off to explore California on camping trips with her father. On these mini-vacations, Houim and her father would fantasize and toss around ideas about her opening her own business, and she worked toward the day when she could make him proud by turning her dream into reality.
“Fortunately, I landed employment with my cousin, Barbara Tang, who owned TnT’s [in Nipomo] for five years until she closed doors to focus on another location in Orcutt. I think the business over there was great and the people were really sad to see it go. I really wanted to keep it alive because it was such a fun place for people to come be with friends and family,” Houim said.
Realizing how much she enjoyed her time at TnT’s and finally having the opportunity to open up her own store, she got her own equipment and found the location in Nipomo.
Houim opened the shop at the tail end of summer 2014—Aug. 2 at 1 p.m. to be exact. “People were popping in asking when we were going to open. They were ready to try it out before we were planning on opening, but we opened that day because the shop was ready, and it was very busy,” Houim said.
She picks the frozen treats and flavors carefully to accommodate for a variety of people. The shop is always stocked with four to five flavors for kids, certain flavors for the older crowds, and flavors for everyone in between. She pays close attention to people’s requests and always tries to have one sorbet, one nondairy, and one sugar-free flavor. In addition, banana splits and root beer floats are offered, and the brownies and waffles are made in-store.
Elizabeth Johnson, an employee, said that she particularly enjoys the ice cream. “When I’m off-duty, I come here to eat the ice cream. When I’m working, I just enjoy the great people that work here.”
In 2015, there may be a few big changes to Pam’s Place. Houim just joined the Nipomo Chamber of Commerce and plans to start participating in more community events. She also shared that Tang just got an ice cream truck for TnT’s, and hinted that she may be collaborating with her in the near future.
Pam’s Place is located at 671 W. Tefft St. in Nipomo. The shop is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call Pam’s Place at 929-4040.
Biz Highlights
• Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation—whose mission is to develop, manage, and channel the community’s financial support on behalf of Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital—has named its 2015 board of directors and officers. Gerry B. Shepherd is the new 2015 SYVCH Foundation president and Lana Clark is the new director. The 2015 SYVCHF officers are: President Gerry Shepherd, Vice President Charles “C. J.” Jackson, Secretary Barbara Anderson, and Treasurer Kathleen Campbell. Returning directors are Dr. Randall Day, Kate Firestone, Sid Goldstien, William Heringer, Rich Nagler, Sandy Power, and Ernie Zomalt. For more information, call 688-6431 or visit cottagehealthsystem.org.
• For the fourth year in a row, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the Vandenberg Air Force Base Small Business Outreach Event on April 15. The event provides an opportunity for companies to connect with base resources, contractors, government officials, and small business experts. The program also serves as a way for businesses to sell their services and products to the base, the government, and main contractors. The program will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Santa Maria Fairpark. For more information, visit santamariaedc.com.
Intern Jamie Guista wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 12-19, 2015.
