Varanda Logan
There’s a little slice of icy heaven in Alabaster, and behind it is a woman with big dreams, a creative spirit, and a serious love for cool treats. Varanda Logan is the owner of Icee Junkie, a frozen dessert business that’s become a local favorite—especially in the heat of the Alabama summer.
Varanda was born in Amory, Mississippi, and raised in Alabama, where she now lives with her husband and their daughter. Like many moms, Varanda’s journey to entrepreneurship began at home. “After I had my daughter in 2016, I became a stay-at-home mom,” she says. “I was doing a lot of DIY projects around the house when my mom called me with a challenge—to come up with something fun to sell at a festival in Mississippi.” Varanda decided to try her hand at fresh fruit slushies, and with a single blender, a cooler full of ice, fresh fruit, candy, and two homemade flavors—strawberry lemonade and tropical fruit lemonade—she set up shop beneath a tent with her family. “We sold two cups and then had a nonstop line the entire weekend,” she says.
Varanda Logan
Encouraged by her husband, Varanda decided to turn her festival success into a side gig. In 2017, he purchased a vintage camper, which they gutted and transformed into the Icee Junkie food trailer. “We’ve been growing since then,” Varanda says. Two years later, they introduced Water Icee Scoops—similar to Italian ice—which quickly became their signature item. Since then, the Icee Junkie trailer has traveled all over Alabama, treating people in Birmingham, Calera, Clanton, Trussville, Alabaster, Fultondale, Clay, McCalla, Huntsville, and beyond to their frozen goodness.
After nearly a decade of part-time hustle and family support, Varanda took a huge leap and opened Icee Junkie’s first brick-and-mortar location in May. Whether you’re craving something fruity, creamy, or icy, there’s a treat to satisfy your sweet tooth, with recipes based on Varanda’s creativity and research. In addition to fresh fruit slushies, you can also try cheesecake cups, a variety of lemonades, and 15 flavors of Water Icee Scoops.
While the storefront operates mainly during the warmer months—March through October—the Icee Junkie food truck stays busy with year-round bookings for private and special events at schools, daycares, summer camps, festivals, community events, and birthdays. They’ll also deliver directly to you with a 10-cup minimum. Coming up, you can catch Varanda and the Icee Junkie team at Calera’s First Friday Firework Show July 4th from 6-10 p.m.—a perfect place to cool off with a sweet celebration and a scoop (or two).
Follow Icee Junkie on Facebook and TikTok, and visit the store in Alabaster—Varanda promises free samples!—at 519 6th Ave SW.