Neptune’s Frozen Treats comes to Malaga Cove Plaza - “Seas the Swirl, Savor the Flavor!” By Contributor and Artist Lynne La Fleur
Neptune’s Frozen treats coming in October
A new Neptune is coming to Malaga Cove Plaza and, no, it isn’t another 16th Century marble statue replica of the God of the Sea. This is a much sweeter adventure coming to our community from entrepreneur Katherine Kemps – Neptune’s Frozen Treats - and I may be dreaming, but I can imagine the 4 puti surrounding our classic Neptune Fountain jumping down from their perch to grab a delicious soft serve at her new shop!
I had the opportunity to sit down with Katherine while construction was underway and discovered an unexpected connection to the family history behind her new venture.
The Original Kemps Family Farm
It turns out a lot has changed since 1914 when William Kemps and Walter Lathrop opened their ice cream company on Fifth Street in Minneapolis. Now Katherine Kemps and Family have come full circle.
Let’s meet Katherine Kemps —
The family history actually came in a little after we started and we thought, “Wow, this is very cool, we’re coming full circle.” I already had this idea to open a frozen yogurt shop. There used to be one at the Promenade in Rolling Hills and my family and I were obsessed with it. When it closed we missed it and so did a lot of other people. That’s what inspired me and my family - I knew this was exactly what I should be doing. I grew up here, went to PV High, then to Southern Methodist University majoring in advertising and I planned to follow that path, but when I returned to Palos Verdes, I knew this was what I wanted to create in my community, I wanted to open Neptune’s Frozen Treats.
And just like the Kemps family history that started it all, Katherine’s family, Michael and Gemma Kemps are an integral part of this new enterprise.
What’s in a Name?
We ran through a dozen names to do with Palos Verdes and the South Bay, yogurt this, yogurt that, and then I had an epiphany, Neptune’s! To this day, he’s one of the most recognizable figures in Palos Verdes history.
Katherine Kemps and the Original Flagship Neptune’s Frozen Treats 2025 brand
Interior design space under construction
Finding the right location was key — we found our niche right across from Yellow Vase, just a few steps away from Malaga Cove Market. The brick path from Via Corta to the Plaza affords lovely patio seating and shade. The interior will be designed with small stools and table seating, and a larger communal table for family and friends.
I want to create a third space where people can come and hang out in the Plaza, there isn’t a lot of that here. More than a grab-and-go, Neptune’s Frozen Treats can be a gathering place where neighbors and friends can sit and chat and listen to music in our patio while they enjoy their favorite soft serve flavor. We’ll be featuring a variety of delicious flavors of Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, Gelato and Custard.
Please join us for our Grand Opening coming mid-October. We’re excited to welcome you to our new adventure!
Neptune’s Frozen Treats 55 Malaga Cove Plaza in Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Open 12–8 Sunday through Thursday, 12–9 Friday and Saturday (424) 365-9575
Website: www.neptunesfrozen.com Instagram and Facebook: neptunesfrozentreats.
Lynne LaFleur attended Malaga Cove School, Lunada Bay Elementary, and Chadwick School, received her BFA from Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn and has lived in New York City, Colorado and Northern California before returning to Palos Verdes in the late 1980s.
For more information, please contact Lynne at “lynnelf1@gmail.com”- The Centennial Celebration poster and all the individual illustrations (both as fine art giclée prints and as educational posters) are available for purchase from her website: www.lynnelafleur.com Facebook: LynneLaFleurArtist Instagram: “lynnelf1”