Dreams Ice Cream & Waffles co-owner Godfrey Cenatos wants people to think big. “Be creative,” he said, welcoming a first-time visitor into his Valley Stream sweets shop. “Experiment, have fun!”
Cenatos opened the Merrick Road cafe in late April with his longtime best friend, Guy Argilagos. But, he said, he’s been topping waffles with ice cream since his teenage years in nearby Rosedale, Queens. “It was a childhood snack for us,” Cenatos recalled, “and as we got older we just kept up the habit.”
During the pandemic, the habit crystallized into a business plan for the two first-time entrepreneurs. Still, the menu reads like a teenage dream: confetti waffles topped with birthday cake ice cream, butterscotch drizzle, fruity pebbles and gummi bears; paper cups brimming with Technicolor Italian ice; cotton candy, spun to order.
if you’d like a little salty with your sweet, add chicken tenders to any order, or opt for ice cream (the shop uses premium brands such as Häagen-Dazs and Dreyer’s) in a cone dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. “We just don’t want you to be plain,” Cenatos said. “If you love vanilla or chocolate , puh-lease, don’t get it — try something new.”
Dreams Ice Cream & Waffles is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12-9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. 535 W. Merrick Road, Valley Stream, 516-400-9809.
