SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At first glance, the business name "An's Dry Cleaning" evokes visions of fresh, cotton-white dress shirts with a stiff, wrinkle-free look.
Well... think again! (More like vanilla?)
The minds behind An's actually have a flair for flavor; the gelato shop is seeking its second consecutive title of "Best Ice Cream Shop in America," which it earned from USA Today in 2024. The publication has once again nominated An's for the award, so now it's up to the voters to decide.
An's has already adjusted its website to include links to the USA Today voting page. Voters can visit this site and cast a vote once per day through June 9.
Kris Warren, the co-founder of An's Dry Cleaning, says his team has a new standard thanks to the national acclaim.
“We didn’t treat the award as a moment to rest—we treated it as a challenge to be even better... Every decision we’ve made this past year has been through the lens of excellence," Warren says. "If you’ve visited An’s before, we think you’ll notice we’ve raised the bar even higher. And if you haven’t, now is the perfect time to see what makes us special.”
So, what's the deal with the name, anyway?
The shop opened at 3017 Adams Ave. in 2018, taking over a historic, 1934 building that used to house a dry cleaning business. Over the years, many of the flavors have been named after fabrics as a nod to the prior tenant.
The shtick stuck: The other locations are named An's Hatmakers (Del Mar), An's Athletic Field Services (Petco Park) and An's Electronics Repair (Ocean Beach).
The Ocean Beach location is the newest An's concept. Warren says that although each shop is different by design, they're all consistent in quality and execution.
Here are the flavors currently on tap at the flagship shop in North Park (as of Wednesday, May 14):
- Leather: Brown butter & chocolate chip cookies
- Burlap (vegan): Peanut butter, chocolate & coconut milk
- Straw Hat (vegan): Mango & passion fruit
- Canvas: Olive oil & rosemary
- Kimono: Jasmine tea & blueberry
- Walkman: Matcha & strawberry jam
- Cypress: Midnight chocolate
An's takes pride in churning out flavors that stand out on a consistent basis. Especially of note was the "pho" flavor it rolled out around the Lunar New Year. The gelato was made with a spiced Pho broth, while also including notes of star anise and cinnamon.
An's came in second place in the USA Today 10Best Competition in 2023.
