Peccas
- Ideal for:
- Going with the kids after school, satisfying a craving on a date, ordering a pint to enjoy at home.
- Accessibility:
- Ample parking at Plaza Alta Shopping Center with accessibility ramps, tables for up to five people. Venues are pet-friendly.
- Prices:
- Prices range from $5.90 for a single scoop *nice* (without alcohol) and *naughty* (with alcohol) from $6.80. Pints between $11.00 and $12.95.
- Atmosphere:
- It is playful, colorful and full of textures. Pop music in the background and board games for the family.
- Address:
- Peccas Helado Artesanal
The dreams of Leylamarie Nieves and Ángela Lugo take the shape of ice cream. Since 2018 they have invented and reinvented the everyday pleasure of artisanal ice cream with Peccas.
The Puerto Rican brand now has 23 employees and three locations: Calle Cerra, Distrito T-Mobile and the recently opened location at Plaza Alta Shopping Center, in which they invested $170,000. "It's the location we always dreamed of," Leylamarie says in an interview with Platea.
The story of Peccas began with a mother looking for answers. Sofía, Ángela's daughter, needed a diagnosis that took them to the United States in 2013. Between medical appointments, they developed the ritual of going out for ice cream.
It was on the flight back to Puerto Rico, in 2016, that the idea was born. "The thought came to me that I was going to make ice cream, with flavors inspired by local taste," Ángela recalls. A year later, "Dulce Sofía," her food truck, was born.
That's where she met Leylamarie, who was going around the area selling crepes from what they would later call the "bicicrepa." Sweets brought them together as friends, and Peccas brought them together as partners.
In 2018, they named the brand after what they had in common besides sugar: freckles. "Hurricane María (September 2017) was what pushed us to come together, and we found a space in Río Grande, and that was our first store," Ángela says. They put down roots there, until the pandemic revealed something they had already sensed.
"During the pandemic we were doing delivery and we realized that Peccas's customers were from San Juan, and people were driving down to Río Grande to eat our ice cream," Ángela says. Growing demand in the metropolitan area and a change in tenants forced them to find another location. They found it on Calle Cerra.
The evolution of Peccas Helado Artesanal
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2018
Opening in Río Grande
Peccas opens its first location in Río Grande, where its artisanal ice cream concept is born, with
(with alcohol) and
(without alcohol) flavors.
2021
Opening on Calle Cerra
The brand arrives in Santurce with a second location on Calle Cerra, bringing its artisanal ice creams closer to the metropolitan area.
2024
Opening at Distrito T-Mobile
Peccas expands its presence with a cart at Distrito T-Mobile.
2025
Opening at Plaza Alta
The most recent location opens at Plaza Alta Shopping Center in Bayamón.
Photos provided
Peccas flavors
The Peccas menu is divided into naughty and nice flavors. The former are blends with alcohol; the latter are for the whole family to enjoy. Crepes remain on the menu, representing Leylamarie's story.
Nice Flavors
One scoop $5.90 · Two scoops $8.35 · Shake $8.25 · Pint $11.00
Choco Brownie: Chocolate with a brownie made at Peccas.
Fresa Limón: Strawberry and lemon sorbet. Fresh, fruity and guilt-free.
Mango Parcha: Mango and passion fruit sorbet. Tropical by nature.
Cookie & Cream: Oreo base with more Oreo pieces.
Tres Leches: Inspired by the island's most beloved cake. Creamy, sweet and nostalgic.
Nutella: For those who need no excuse to eat Nutella by the spoonful.
Polvorón de Almendra: Creamy ice cream with crunchy pieces of almond polvorón.
Praline y Dulce de Leche: Praline base with a dulce de leche swirl and praline pieces.
Cheesecake de Guayaba: Cheesecake base with a guava swirl.
Peccas Road: Marshmallow base with almond and brownie pieces.
A Lo Coco: Creamy coconut ice cream with chocolate and cookie pieces. A trip to the tropics.
Vainilla: Because well-made vanilla is never boring.
Naughty Flavors
One scoop $6.80 · Two scoops $9.89 · Shake $10.25 · Pint $12.95
Tu Café con Barrilito: Coffee ice cream with a touch of the most Puerto Rican rum there is. Good morning and good night at the same time.
Pistachio Martini: Pistachio ice cream with a martini twist.
Brownie Whiskey: Chocolate brownie with whiskey. For those who know what they want.
Spicy Valentine: Sweet, spicy.
Naughty Strawberry: Strawberries with a touch of Jalda.
Crepas
Each crepe is served with powdered sugar and whipped cream. Crepes range from $5 to 12:50.
Fresa, Banana y Nutella: Crepe or waffle with strawberries, banana and Nutella.
Dulce de Leche: Crepe or waffle with a sweet caramelized milk cream.
Banana y Nutella: Banana and Nutella in a crepe or waffle, your choice.
Fresa y Nutella: Strawberries and Nutella in a crepe or waffle, your choice.
Banana Cream Caramel: Banana cream with cream cheese, caramel, pralines and banana.
S'mores: Marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker. Warm and gooey, in a crepe or waffle.
Crepa sencilla: With powdered sugar and whipped cream.
Nutella: Crepe filled with Nutella, drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with whipped cream.
Guayaba y Queso Crema: Crepe filled with cream cheese and guava preserves.
Beyond its flavors, Peccas stands out for an atmosphere as playful as its creations: bright colors, board games and an implicit invitation to stay. "We always wanted to have a store with games, very bright. We had that dream of people feeling like they were in a fun, family environment," says Leylamarie.
Peccas' commitment goes beyond ice cream and décor. The brand participates in the workforce inclusion program of Rehabilitación Vocacional and The Corporate Source to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, a decision Ángela connects directly to her personal story. "We give them the opportunity to have this experience too. It's a matter of putting in a little extra effort. Obviously this is connected to my daughter," says Ángela.
Some advice for entrepreneurs
Understand the process. Making mistakes is part of the journey, especially when you're learning as you go. "I think one of the biggest lessons is to take things calmly before making decisions. The reality is that many of your decisions will be wrong, especially if you don't go to business school. There's a lot of learning in the process because you don't know. Now there are no tears, and not because I no longer care, but because it's part of the process," says Ángela.
Set clear goals. "Being clear about where you want to go will also help you with decisions. Many people are caught up in the day-to-day and forget the path they want, but decisions have to point toward that," advises Ángela.
Never stop learning. Business growth and personal growth go hand in hand. "For me it's the fact of continuing to learn. Taking courses. Because as you keep growing, you read books. Education, education. Personal growth is also everything to me. It shows in how you feel, it's how you handle everything else," recommends Leylamarie.
As they learn, they keep dreaming. For Leylamarie, success is not measured in openings but in what each spoonful brings out. "Hearing people say nice things is like… Wow! And also the fact of looking back at the story and seeing everything we've accomplished", she says. Her biggest ambition is simple: for Peccas ice cream to one day be the destination of a road trip, the way Lares is.
For Ángela, the greatest reward is seeing the love the community has for Sofía. "That she can come here and there are people who love her. Who kiss her and hug her. And who say she is their best friend. And that she will always have a place where she has a family and friends."
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
