As the summer temperatures continue to climb in Tucson, we are thankful for the vast number of raspado shops that can be found throughout the city.
On hot days, those icy treats, served with real fruit or nuts, with or without ice cream, can seem like a dream come true.
For Carl Amaya, a dream gone wrong is what ultimately led him to opening the raspado shop Mangos Refresqueria Y Cafe with his mom, one of many shops you can find selling the icy treats around Tucson.
Sometime around 2007 while working full-time for Verizon, Amaya and his best friend started hot dog stand Baja Dogs and parked it along Fourth Avenue. The business ended about seven years later when his friend started a family and Amaya started a new venture opening cellphone stores.
“I love the cellphone industry — I know it, I love it, I like technology,” Amaya says. “But I kind of always wanted to work with food again.”
“That sprung the love for food,” he says. “And the love for business is always something I had.”
For years, Amaya and his mom Veronica Amaya dabbled with the idea of opening their version of a “Mexican Starbucks,” originally hoping to focus on coffees, teas and Hispanic treats.
And in 2015, Amaya had a nightmare — in the early morning hours, one of his cellphone stores was broken into. Everything was stolen.
In his dream, Amaya said he got to the store and “it was just bare bones — like a little warehouse.”
A few years ago, Carl Amaya and his mom opened Mangos Refresqueria Y Cafe.
Mangos Refresqueria Y Cafe
Luckily, that didn’t actually happen. But it did trigger something inside of him, telling him he should get back to what he loved — food.
Just about three years ago today, Amaya and his mom opened Mangos at 4990 S. Campbell Ave. near East Irvington Road. Mangos sells raspados, tacos and other treats, though Amaya still owns a number of cell phone stores too.
“The meat and potatoes of our business are raspados,” he says, adding that his favorite flavor is mango.
Mangos doesn’t have much of the Starbucks vibe quite yet, but Amaya says he’s working to “create a really good flavor profile” for coffees he hopes to serve.
Mangos is currently open for pickup only and can be reached at 347-3906. Despite the pandemic, Amaya says: “It’s been a blessing to be as busy as we’ve been.”
Among Tucson’s oldest raspado shops is Oasis Fruit Cones at 4126 S. 12th Ave. near East Ajo Way.
The business started as a hobby in 1983 by Alfonso Carrizosa, who was joined a year later by his brother John Carrizosa. Originally named Oasis Raspados, the business has stayed in the family since.
Raspados are icy treats served with real fruit or nuts, with or without ice cream.
The two brothers originally worked for the family’s roofing business and opened Oasis after being inspired by their grandfather Francisco Rivera who sold raspados in his front yard in Mexico.
The next Carrizosa generation brought the concept to Tucson in the 1970s, but that shop closed a few years later.
Another handful of years passed and the next generation, being Alfonso Carrizosa, decided to give it a shot. From there, Oasis was born.
“It was such a hit that they stopped doing roofing,” says John Carrizosa’s wife Julie Carrizosa.
She says the brothers realized they couldn’t run both the roofing business and Oasis.
Plus, they enjoyed making raspados more.
Although other snow cone spots were around at the time, Julie Carrizosa says Oasis was among the first to bring the raspado to Tucson.
By far, the favorite flavor among customers is strawberry. “I think we sell more of that than the rest combined,” Julie Carrizosa says, though her favorite is leche, a milk and cinnamon flavor.
By far, the favorite flavor among customers at Oasis Fruit Cones is strawberry.
The Carrizosas also have a location on St. Mary’s Road, but it’s currently closed amid the pandemic.
Alfonso Carrizosa moved to Phoenix and has opened a handful of locations there too.
Since opening in 1983, Julie Carrizosa says she’s happy that she’s been able to use the business to connect with the community. She’s also proud that Oasis has been voted as the best raspado shop numerous times in Tucson Weekly’s annual contest.
Oasis on 12th Avenue is currently open for drive-up services and can be reached at 741-7106.
Although other snow cone spots were around at the time, Julie Carrizosa says Oasis Fruit Cones was among the first to bring the raspado to Tucson.
