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North Carolina's Hottest Ice Cream: Meet Andia's Ice Cream

Andia Xouris didn't set out to make ice cream. In fact, the idea of crafting desserts was far from her mind when she and her husband, George, began dreaming about a shared business. But fate — and a wooden-handled ice cream scoop passed down from George's grandfather — had other plans. Today, Andia is the co-founder and CEO of Andia's Ice Cream, an ultra-premium brand based in North Carolina with four bustling scoop shops, a national shipping arm via Goldbelly, and a slew of industry accolades. Pin Destined for the Food Industry … but Ice Cream?! Andia was born in Deftera, Cyprus, a tiny Mediterranean village with gastronomy in its DNA. 'My dad's mom, who I'm named after, was the personal chef to the president of Cyprus in the 70s,' she explains. 'So I grew up always eating amazing food.' Andia was six when her family immigrated to the U.S., but her upbringing remained steeped in culinary traditions. She spent her teen years darting in and out of New York diners, watching her entrepreneurial father run his food service company. She loved to cook, but desserts weren't her specialty. 'Ice cream wasn't my natural inclination,' she laughs. The business idea came from George, who was nostalgic for the small-town scoop shop they frequented in New Jersey. 'He'd say, 'Ice cream brings people together.' And in Greek culture, we love to feed people. We love to be with family and friends. It started to make sense.' Before a single pint was sold, Andia devoted three full years to studying ice cream. 'I traveled the country and went to every school I could find. I had to figure out what I wanted to make. Many don't realize just how many frozen desserts there are. Italian ice, gelato, soft serve, custard, the list goes on,' she recalls. 'In the end, we chose ultra-premium hard scoop ice cream.' Pin Slow and Sweet Wins the Race Andia's Ice Cream opened its first brick-and-mortar location eight years ago, but not before years of testing recipes and learning the business from the ground up. 'We were the turtle — slow and steady,' she says. When that first shop opened, the line stretched down the block. 'I went outside and thanked every single guest. I couldn't believe people were waiting for something with my name on the door.' Today, she's a James Beard fellow and the only woman in the South — and one of just four chefs in the country — to win the title of Grand Master Ice Cream Maker twice from the North American Ice Cream Association. Andia's flavors have taken home national ribbons nearly every year since, with recent hits like Mango Jalapeño Margarita and Butter Toffee Popcorn earning top honors. The road hasn't been without its growing pains and some misconceptions. 'People will come into the shop and ask, 'Where's Andia?'' she says. 'But I'm in the office now, running a company. We had to build systems and processes and all the things we didn't need when we were just mom-and-pop.' With more than 90 employees, a production facility running near capacity, and a robust catering arm for weddings and corporate events, Andia now oversees a multifaceted operation. Though wholesale once played a significant role in the business, today, retail is king. And with Goldbelly, they can ship nationwide. 'We're not going the grocery store route. That would require compromising our small-batch quality, and I won't do that,' she says. Rooted in Raleigh, Devoured Nationwide Andia never imagined North Carolina would become her family's home base or the springboard for her brand's success. But when she and George moved to the Triangle area 14 years ago, it didn't take long for the local community to embrace her. 'We had our little farmers' market carts, and people would say, 'Where can I buy this all the time?' They built up my confidence,' she says. 'Some of those early customers are now close friends.' Now, ice cream fans can visit the four North Carolina locations in Cary (two there), Raleigh, and Durham, and Andia's can land on any doorstep in the U.S. and Canada. Check out their Durham scoop shop, housed in the most fabulous double-decker bus. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Megan Nichols | NC Eat & Play (@nceatandplay) Andia's is giving back this summer through its second annual fundraiser for Duke Children's Hospital's Child Life program. Local children will co-create a custom sundae, sold at all Andia's shops, with proceeds benefiting the hospital. The 'champions' will also host hands-on ice cream-making sessions as part of Andia's 'Kitchen with a Cause' series. But the national attention is rolling in, too. 'I remember begging Goldbelly to try our product for a year,' Andia laughs. 'When they finally did, they immediately invited us to join the platform. I wanted people all over the country to experience what we were doing here.' Since then, Andia's pints have shown up on celebrity gift lists and even landed in the hands of Paris Hilton. Flavor First, Always Behind all the buzz, Andia is still a flavor-obsessed perfectionist at heart. 'The more I learned, the hungrier I became,' she says. Her hot drops — limited-edition flavors like Dubai Chocolate and Bread & Butter — sell out within hours. This summer marks the first time these drops will be available via Goldbelly. When asked which flavor she thinks every customer should try, she answers without hesitation: 'Rose Pistachio. It's a rose ice cream with salted roasted pistachios. I grew up eating rose desserts in Cyprus, so this one is personal.' But it's not just nostalgia that wins awards. Her Mango Jalapeño Margarita flavor — a fusion of sweet mango ice cream, spicy lime sorbet, house-made candied jalapeños, and a Tajin finish — took home first place nationally last year. 'It's one of the most complex flavors we've done. And people love it.' Even with all the success, Andia remains insatiably curious. When she's not in the office, she's likely entertaining friends, cooking for family, or traveling the world to try ice creams from other cultures. 'I don't know how to relax,' she admits. 'But eventually, after a week away, I start to calm down a bit.' We asked what's next for Andia's. 'We're staying put for now,' she says. 'Our production facility is maxed out, and I want to make sure we continue to grow the right way. We're not done evolving, but we're not rushing, either.'