Prepare to Get Chocolate Wasted: Popular Ice Cream Truck Scoops Up East End Digs

The East End is picking up the baton once helmed by Montrose, slowing morphing into Houston's next hip neighborhood. While Ninfa's on Navigation continues to be a representative of the East End, places like Eastie Boys' 8th Wonder Brewery, nerd haven and bar Neil's Bahr, craft beer and hot dog ice house Moon Tower Inn, industrially chic cafe Tout Suite and the globally influenced Southern restaurant Kitchen 713 have helped to transform the neighborhood even further. Hoping to leave its mark in the East End as well is Chocolate Wasted Ice Cream Bus.

The ice cream truck, which offers handmade ice cream and other frozen treats,  launched six months ago but according to a reader, it's ready to follow the path of The Modular, Eatsie Boys, Bernie's Burger Bus and others by going brick-and-mortar. "The Chocolate Wasted Ice Cream Bus has exceeded my expectations... we've decided to move forward with brick and mortar," says owner Susan Sahwani-Garcia who confirmed the rumor when reached for comment.

Owning an ice cream shop in the East End has been a dream of Sahwani-Garcia's since she was a child. “ I am a 4th generation East Ender and with all the changes happening in the area, I believe it’s important that people from this area stay and incorporate their history and dreams and ideas," says Sahwani-Garcia. Chocolate Wasted recently signed a lease for its new digs at 724 Telephone, located within Tlaquepaque Market at Eastwood. Taking over the space vacated by former ice cream shop Scoops, Chocolate Wasted will begin scooping its homemade treats next to neighbors Bohemeos and Kanomwan Thai in the spring.

Chocolate Wasted will offer a variety of in-house ice creams, alongside popsicles made with fresh fruit juices and milk. The current popsicle selections include pineapple, pecan, coconut, and strawberry, but the shop will offer an updated version of its spiced rice pudding pops with rose water and pistachios. An expanded menu of add-ons will be available at the shop for its popular build-it-yourself ice cream sandwiches, where you're able to choose your own cookie and fillings. The ice cream parlor's signature item will be its recent menu addition, the chocolate wasted mess: a raspberry meringue topped with ice cream and whipped cream.

A projected opening date has been set for sometime in April. As part of its grand opening festivities, Chocolate Wasted will host a popsicle sculpture contest. The winner will receive one free ice cream a week for a year.