It was about four years ago that my friend Jessica brought me to an L.A. drugstore for some "square" ice cream. I was charmed by the oddly-shaped scoops (which I realize are not really square but cylindrical) we were served at that Rite-Aid that afternoon. Last winter, in Palm Springs, she brought me to another in-store ice cream counter for some more. Still charmed. Cut to this week when I found out that Rite-Aid* started selling the contraptions that turns ice cream into tiny top hats… and had already sold out!
Chris Nichols of Los Angeles Magazine:
A friend posted a picture on Instagram, then I noticed the scoopers started showing up on eBay, where one near Hemet drew 25 bids and sold for $121.50. There were sightings and rumors of them in the wild, but after a mid-week survey of more than a dozen stores left me empty-handed, I figured it might be a Bigfoot story. Maybe some prototypes had escaped into the wild. The store manager even speculated that they might not return. "They're just testing them out," she told me. Another store clerk had tipped me off that they might be expecting a new batch at the end of the week so I took a chance, and ended up walking away with one of the gadgets for $19.99.
So, after reading this, I looked at overpriced eBay listings, and thought I might find one around here (San Francisco Bay Area). "Maybe they're just sold out in L.A.," I naively thought. So, I went to a Rite-Aid in San Leandro, one with an ice cream counter, and inquired about the scoop. The clerk told me that they only got six in last week and those sold out "real fast." Store management tried to order more but were told they were sold out, that the "warehouse was empty." I was also informed that they've been trying to make them for a long time but it was too cost prohibitive before now. My informant hadn't been aware that the scoops were a "thing" or that they were being sold in secondary markets.
Folks, THIS is what the elusive Thrifty ice cream scoop looks like:
Rite-Aid, if you're reading this, make more please. Signed, "square" ice cream lovers.
Photo 1 by Rusty Blazenhoff, photo 2 via Amazon
*Rite-Aid bought Thrifty but kept the old name on its ice cream.
