Nearly two years after opening its first location near CSULB, Seaside Creamery owner Ismael Bermudez has expanded the family-run dessert concept with a second location on Retro Row.
Taking over the former Hug Life space at 2707 E. 4th St., just east of CoffeeDrunk and across the street from Due Fiori, the return of ice cream after Hug Life is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Their soft opening has seen a consistent string of neighborhood locals expressing gratitude and enthusiasm for the shop, which Ismael warmly welcomes.
“We really hope the community connects with what we’re doing,” Isamel said. “I’ve been working on new flavors… Hoping to create some more collaborations, like the one I have with CoffeeDrunk [via the space’s popular Instagator flavor]… We just want to fold a new part of Long Beach into the Seaside family.”
And the lines already forming make sense. After all, the move marks a major step forward for a business that has built a devoted following around an increasingly rare product in SoCal: handcrafted frozen custard.
Wait—what is Seaside Creamery?
At both locations, Ismael’s focus remains the same. Small-batch frozen custard made with real egg yolks, premium dairy, and an obsessive attention to texture. Unlike traditional ice cream, frozen custard incorporates egg yolks into the base, creating a richer, denser, and smoother final product.
And the concept’s birth is a pseudo-love story. Ismael had a nearly 20-year career with King’s Seafood Company, the massive restaurant group responsible for venues such as 555, King’s Fish House, and The Water Grill. There, he learned the art of making frozen custard. He then introduced it to his wife, Esmeralda Macedo—and she fell in love in more ways than one.
Eventually, what began as a business plan project for Macedo’s MBA program at UC Irvine eventually evolved. Recipe testing at home. Flavor development. And, ultimately, the launch of Seaside Creamery in March of 2024.
Seaside Creamery becomes a Long Beach staple—befitting for Retro Row.
Today, the original East Long Beach shop near CSULB has become known for its rotating lineup of inventive flavors, including Vietnamese coffee, lemon lavender, matcha horchata, Mallow Cookies & Cream, Bumbleberry Cheesecake, and collaborations with local businesses like CoffeeDrunk. Bermudez, who spent nearly two decades working for King’s Seafood Company before launching the creamery, develops the flavors himself, often drawing from nostalgic desserts, seasonal ingredients, and local partnerships.
That creativity feels especially fitting for Retro Row, one of Long Beach’s most eclectic and independent commercial corridors. Long celebrated for its collection of vintage shops, restaurants, coffee houses, and creative businesses, the district has become a destination that reflects the city’s fiercely local identity. Bringing Seaside Creamery into the neighborhood adds another locally owned concept to the mix while giving residents on the city’s central east side easier access to the shop’s signature custard creations.
For Ismael, the expansion represents more than growth. From the beginning, Seaside Creamery was built around the idea of creating something family-oriented and community-focused in Long Beach. The original location employed students from CSULB, and the business has steadily grown through word of mouth, neighborhood support, and a commitment to making every batch in-house.
Now, with shops serving both East Long Beach and Retro Row, Seaside Creamery has firmly established itself as one of the city’s standout dessert destinations—proof that Long Beach’s appetite for locally crafted food concepts remains as strong as ever.
Seaside Creamery is located at 1785 Palo Verde Ave. in Suite H and 2707 E. 4th St.
