Desert Freeze

Frank and Maria Delgado opened Desert Freeze in the summer of 1974 with a single soft-serve machine and a walk-up window on Route 54. Aguaverde was a mining town then, and the late shift at the copper works let out at 11 PM. Frank kept the lights on until midnight because he knew those workers needed somewhere to go that wasn't home or a bar.

Fifty years later, the copper mine is gone, but Desert Freeze is still here. The Delgados' daughter Rosa runs things now. The soft-serve machine has been replaced twice. The menu has grown. But we still stay open until midnight, because some things shouldn't change.

The Mesa Swirl came along in 1982—Rosa's idea, inspired by a trip to Texas. It's been our signature ever since. Thick enough to hold a spoon upright, or your money back.