During a trip overseas to Japan, Yuki’s founder Dan stumbled upon a dining experience that would change his life.  It was a sweltering summer day in Kyoto, Japan, so Dan took shelter in a small restaurant for lunch.  He sat down on the polished wooden bench expecting to see a full lunch menu, but to his surprise, the place served only frozen desserts. The shaved ice (kakigori) in particular caught his eye.

Dan ordered a shaved ice topped with traditional “black sugar” syrup and sweetened cream.  It came out of the kitchen perfectly presented: a beautiful glass bowl encrusted with frost, holding a mound of super-fluffy snow freshly topped with the house-made syrup and cream.  (Very different from the roadside ice shacks that we’re used to in the states!) He took a bite, and it proved to be just as delicious as it was beautiful. The flavors balanced perfectly on the tongue, and the cool fluffy texture was the perfect cure for a hot summer day.  It was over much too soon.

Dan knew he had experienced something remarkable.  He told himself right then: “I have to bring this back to America!”  A few years later, Dan was finally ready to bring his dream to life in Provo, UT.