SLO à la Mode serving up premium ice cream in Doc Burnstein’s old downtown spot

Anna Armstrong
·2 min read

When Peter Latif Shaker and his wife first heard about the abrupt closing of San Luis Obispo’s beloved Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, they knew the downtown would be in desperate need of a new ice cream shop — and they were the ones for the job.

SLO à la Mode opened in late July at 860 Higuera St. — just a few short steps from the Shakers’ other dessert shop, SLO Froyo n’ Italian Ice.

Shaker said Doc Burnstein’s was a staple of the downtown community and a great neighbor to SLO Froyo, adding that Doc Burnstein’s was generous and community-oriented.

SLO à la Mode opened in the former San Luis Obispo Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location on Higuera Street in July 2023. The shop offers 32 flavors of ice cream, cookies, fresh made waffle cones, milkshakes, floats, sundaes and affogato (espresso and ice cream).
SLO à la Mode opened in the former San Luis Obispo Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location on Higuera Street in July 2023. The shop offers 32 flavors of ice cream, cookies, fresh made waffle cones, milkshakes, floats, sundaes and affogato (espresso and ice cream).

Now, Shaker hopes SLO à la Mode can bring the feeling of community back to the area.

“We are a mom-and-pop shop, not a big corporation,” said Shaker. “We hope to become a part of the community here and hope people will not see us as a replacement (to Doc Burnstein’s), but will see us as a new family and new chapter for the space.”

The shop is owned by Shaker and his wife and is managed by their son, Max, who is a student at Cuesta College. The rest of the team includes three Cal Poly student employees.

Max Bundy makes a fresh waffle cone at SLO à la Mode, which took the place of the former Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location in downtown San Luis Obispo in July 2023.
Max Bundy makes a fresh waffle cone at SLO à la Mode, which took the place of the former Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location in downtown San Luis Obispo in July 2023.

SLO à la Mode offers ‘top of the line’ ice cream in a variety of flavors

One of the characteristics that sets SLO à la Mode a part from other ice cream shops in the area, Shaker said, is their ‘premium-quality’ ice cream.

The ice cream is sourced from Wisconson-based, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co., which has won a variety of awards including a gold medal at the Los Angeles International Dairy Competition and was recognized as a Grand Master Ice Cream Maker by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association.

Among the flavors offered at SLO à la Mode are fan favorites like Zanzibar Chocolate and Exhausted Parent, a bourbon-infused espresso flavor. The shop also carries non-dairy vegan ice cream options.

In addition to ice cream, the shop also sells cookies and Belgian waffles.

Max Bundy smooths out the level in the 32 flavors of ice cream at SLO à la Mode, which took the place of the former Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location in downtown San Luis Obispo in July 2023.
Max Bundy smooths out the level in the 32 flavors of ice cream at SLO à la Mode, which took the place of the former Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab location in downtown San Luis Obispo in July 2023.

“The ice cream we serve is top of the line,” said Shaker. “You cannot find better-quality ice cream anywhere else.”

More Information

SLO à la Mode is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call SLO à la Mode at 805-439-1492 or email them at sloalamode@gmail.com.