Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tanisha Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tanisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Cosmos Ice Cream was designed to bring smiles, enjoyment and amazement to every event we show up to. A young girl with a vision of owning a food truck that turned into a reality by owning the World’s Largest Ice Cream Truck! It was a leap of faith that has positively changed our lives for the good!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
My name is Tanisha Davis, I am an US Air Force veteran who cooked while in the military. I served 8 years until I was medically discharged. I’m the owner of Cosmos Ice Cream, World’s Largest Ice Cream Truck, specializing in nitrogen infused ice cream. We are a small family run business that’s been around for a little over three years. We are based out of Rockledge, Florida about 25 miles east of Orlando, FL. We have a 40 foot double decker bus that we have nicknamed the “Ice Cream Party Bus” because customers can watch their ice cream being prepared with nitrogen, generating cold smoke, then go upstairs to sit and enjoy the scenery of the venue while listening to music. We are most proud of product. We like to say we want the bus to draw you, but have the ice cream bring you back. Freezing with liquid nitrogen at -320 degrees creates a creamier product because it produces less ice particles. I am also proud of the employees that have come through our organization. We started out by hiring high school students ranging from 14-18 and giving them their first job. I had the pleasure of watching them grow. Many were nervous to interact with the public or afraid to get it wrong. It was a learning curve for all of us, but all of the students who have worked for Cosmos have gone on to become managers of other organizations, in college or joined the military. It always warms my heart when they “thank you Mrs. Tanisha, it started at Cosmos!”.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We had a fantastic first year in business, the events we were attending had thousands of people which meant we were generating thousands of dollars. However, when COVID-19 hit, everything came to a screeching halt. Events stopped and when you are food truck, being outside in “mass gatherings” is your business. What are we supposed to do now? I had no place to sell our ice cream or did I? As I mentioned we are a family run business and I have an AMAZING family, they are my rock. From my husband, Kevin Davis, who ensures everything is functioning correctly, to my son, Dakari Davis, who creates and makes all the ice cream, my dad Garry King who makes sure we have Cosmos attire, and my mom, Fenola Long who ensures all events are coordinated and we show up to where we are supposed to be, nothing runs without them, including me. When I brainstorm ideas, I run it past them for a reality check. This particular idea stuck. We had an office space so why not change that into a restaurant? That is what we did. We put in the application and was approved by the Department of Business & Public Regulation (DBPR) for a “no-seat restaurant” and offered to go only. With that option, we were able to provide our ice cream for delivery or pick up through Door Dash, DING Menu and calling ahead. It saved us! However, now that things have opened back up, we just use the restaurant as our storage and headquarters but without it, not sure Cosmos would still be around. I have to tell you, looking back over it, I was scared, because at the same time we were trying to save our business there were people losing their lives and we loss close family members during that time as well. I have to thank my family for standing in the gap for me during those times when I was too tired or weak to go on, their energy was the motivation needed to keep going.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I did not know this until three years ago, but my mother, Fenola Long, told me when I was little I use to say I’m going to own an ice cream shop. For my 12th birthday, she bought me a milkshake maker that I still have. Talk about a dream becoming a reality. My family has always stuck by me and I want to leave a legacy for my children’s, children’s children. Proverbs 13:22 says “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…”. that is my goal. I feel as though I have been blessed in my life and I want to pass those blessings on. We recently received our trademark for Cosmos and I am currently working with lawyers on creating franchising opportunities. I want to see Cosmos Ice Cream Trucks across the nation because everyone should experience eating delicious, creamy ice cream from “The World’s Largest Ice Cream Truck” aka “Ice Cream Party Bus”!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cosmosicecream.com
- Instagram: @cosmosicecreamtruck
- Facebook: @cosmosicecream
- Twitter: @cosmosicecreamtruck
- Other: TikTok @cosmosicecreamtruck