The Dolly Llama, the waffle and artisanal ice cream destination known for its insane and over-the-top desserts, will celebrate its Grand Opening and further expansion in Texas with its upcoming opening in McAllen. Located at 7600 North 10th St, #800 L, within the Trenton Crossing Shopping Center alongside Target, Marshalls, Hobby Lobby and Petsmart, The Dolly Llama’s newest location will debut on Saturday, March 4th with a community-focused Grand Opening celebration! Beginning at 12pm, the first 100 guests will receive a free The Dolly Llama swag bag of merchandise! Throughout the day, guests can also enter to win giveaways and raffles for fun prizes!
“We are ecstatic to be bringing The Dolly Llama’s delicious waffles and dessert concoctions to the city of McAllen!,” says Anna Gomez and Deborah Rios, co-franchisees of the Dolly Llama McAllen. “Within the Valley, people venture to McAllen to shop and eat, so we thought bringing a new type of concept to the area would be a perfect fit for the community and for us! Both of us have lived in the Hidalgo County area for over a decade, but we’ve known each other for over 13 years. We knew we wanted to start a franchise together that fit our fun lifestyle, and once we found The Dolly Llama, the rest was history! We were instantly drawn to the fun and energetic atmosphere of The Dolly Llama after flying to LA to try the concept. Now here we are, preparing to finally open our own franchise that we instantly fell in love with from the beginning! We truly hope the locals, families and friends of McAllen love The Dolly Llama desserts as much as we do! Our favorites would have to be a warm OG Liege waffle with vanilla ice cream and an assortment of toppings (Anna) or the classic Dolly’s Dream (Deborah), but guests will just have to come down to the Grand Opening to find their own favorite!”
“After seeing such success at our Dallas location, we knew that it was inevitable to be expanding further into the Texas market,” says The Dolly Llama co-founder Eric Shomof. “Upon meeting Anna and Deborah, their passion for building this franchise stood out and I have no doubt that this duo will bring in the crowd. With Anna’s background in banking and Deborah’s background as an entrepreneur and businesswoman, I’m confident that the brand will be successful in this market and attract guests from around the state. We can’t wait to celebrate the grand opening with the McAllen community and offer up a whole day of giveaways, because who doesn’t love free swag with some ice cream?!”
The Dolly Llama was designed to be a modern dessert shop where all guests can enjoy hand-crafted waffles and ice cream in a cool, hip and fun environment. The concept’s success can be, in part, attributed to its innovative and artisanal menu, but also the unique experience of visiting The Dolly Llama locations is what makes the shops a beloved destination for locals and tourists alike. The currently open seven locations in Los Angeles, Dallas, Jacksonville (Ponte Vedra Beach), Las Vegas and Orlando (Winter Garden) share an unparalleled aesthetic flair and insta-worthy design featuring eye-catching signage, our iconic llama and “wanted” llama prints along the walls, which the franchised locations will also mirror.
The brand prides itself on offering authentic European flavors and techniques, such as Belgian waffles using traditional methods, and the Hong Kong Bubble Waffle prepared with a special batter that produces a unique crispy and custard-like texture. The two unique waffle styles — OG Liege Waffle, Bubble Waffle — are the base of the interactive menu of ‘Top Picks’ waffle and ice cream desserts, ice cream waffle sandwiches, and a ‘Build Your Own’ menu, where customers are encouraged to “go nuts” with unlimited toppings resulting in endless flavor possibilities and combinations. Signature Shakes are another over-the-top brand staple.
The Dolly Llama currently operates three locations in greater Los Angeles, one location in Dallas, one location in Jacksonville (Ponte Vedra Beach), one location in Las Vegas and one location in Orlando (Winter Garden). The McAllen location is the second location to open as part of the concept’s rapid expansion plan in Texas, and has plans to open two stores in Houston (Shenandoah and Pearland) within the next month. The Dolly Llama McAllen location will be open Sunday – Thursday from 12pm – 10pm and Friday – Saturday from 12pm – 12am.
