How A Full-Time Teacher Created ‘The Best Ice Cream in Halifax’
HALIFAX–Being a teacher is a rewarding profession but it is also hard work. Ask any teacher and they’ll tell you that class sizes are too big, each child has unique needs, and they’re often buying supplies out of their own pocket.
One of the benefits of being a public educator, however, is that nice summer break at the end of June. During her final five years as a teacher, Ditta Kasdan decided to make herself even busier during that break. In 2004, she opened an ice cream shop in Peggy’s Cove, famously known as Dee Dee’s.
“Crazy right?” Kasdan said with a laugh, on the topic of forgoing her vacation.
“I never wanted to be a ‘tried teacher.’ You know, one of those teachers you get in school that you just wish would retire? I never wanted to be that person. I loved teaching.”
What started off as a seasonal business in Peggy’s Cove soon turned into a year-round business. In 2010, a year after retiring from teaching, Kasdan opened a Halifax location of Dee Dee’s on Cornwallis Street that stayed open even during the winter.
The seasonal Peggy’s Cove location closed at the start of the pandemic and has yet to reopen.
Now, Kasdan is retiring from her second job as an entrepreneur and a master ice cream maker. Dee Dee’s is in the process of being sold to two young, well-known businesswomen in Halifax.
This summer, the shop will be operated by Lindsay MacPhee (owner of The Flotation Centre) and Jenna Mooers (owner of CHKN CHOP).
Kasdan said she chose to sell to Mooers and MacPhee because she trusts the two women to continue Dee Dee’s tradition of a quality product and paying staff a reasonable wage.
“I feel, right now, that Dee Dee’s needs a new burst of energy, some new ideas, and I think the new people taking over will do a wonderful job,” said Kasdan.
“Jenna actually grew up in the neighbourhood where Dee Dee’s is. Both are really wonderful people and our values just align.”
Speaking to Huddle, MacPhee said she and Mooers decided to buy the shop because of its importance to the neighbourhood.
“We wanted to make sure it remained in the community, for the community, for years to come,” she said.
Kasdan said she has loyal staff, some of whom have been with her for more than six years. Making sure they would be taken care of after the sale was very important to her. She also made it a priority over the years to hire from the local North End neighbourhood.
“I pay my workers very well, compared to most cafes or the restaurant industry,” she said.
No quality ice cream in Halifax
When asked why she took on the weight of opening a business back in 2004, Kasdan’s answer is both simple and insightful: she loves ice cream but couldn’t find any in the region that she thought was high-quality.
Dee Dee’s is popular because for several reasons. One of Kasdan’s secrets to success is making ice cream in small batches, rather than the massive amount that a factory might make. And, of course, she uses as many local, natural products as possible.
“We make 18 litres at a time and we use organic cane sugar and all real fruit–local fruits, in-season. It’s a special kind of ice cream. It’s denser than most ice cream,” she says.
Dee Dee’s also uses two pieces of equipment imported from Italy. One of these devices freezes the ice cream rapidly, which makes a huge difference. The faster the ice cream freezes, the fewer ice crystals form on the surface and the smoother its texture.
Some of the most popular flavours at Dee Dee’s include chocolate, Mexican chocolate, mint chocolate chip, and local berry ice cream made with Nova Scotian raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries.
Then there is a caramel swirl flavour that Dee Dee’s actually make their own caramel in-house.
Another reason for Dee Dee’s 12 years of success in Halifax was Kasdan’s ability to pivot before pivoting became popular.
Kasdan knew she would have to offer more products to operate year-round, since ice cream sales drop in the winter, so she added new menu items like hot drinks and sandwiches.
“We started making burritos, which sounds like an odd combination, but it’s worked for us,” she said. “We did it for those diehard customers who come in in the middle of a blizzard and want an ice cream.”
Now that Dee Dee’s will soon be under new ownership, Kasdan is looking forward to spending time with friends and family and taking on some personal projects, rather than public ones. Although, given her hard work over the years, many people assumed she would continue with a new business or something else.
“It’s really funny, everybody writes that I’m moving on to new projects because I’m just the kind of person who keeps doing things,” said Kasdan. “So I don’t know what everybody’s expecting. My new projects are not going to be so public.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].