Sweet Melody, the Miami-born, family-owned ice cream with unique flavors that reference Miami and pop culture, is opening its first Fort Lauderdale shop at The Hive in Flagler Village (908 N. Flagler Drive).
Owner Mike Romeu announced the good news on Sweet Melody’s website, writing, “So so excited to expand North into Ft. Lauderdale, and join the beautiful community at The Hive in Flagler Village! We are bringing the best ice cream in Fort Lauderdale to this thriving & energetic neighborhood.”
The shop will offer a dozen different rotating flavors by the scoop and in to-go pints. In addition, customers can grab hand-spun milkshakes, sundaes, and waffle cones. In addition, Sweet Melody Fort Lauderdale will serve Thicc Boi cookies.
The Hive is the perfect place for Sweet Melody, with its blend of indie shops, galleries, eateries, art, and festivals. Romeu tells What Now Miami that his welcome to the neighborhood has been amazing. The shop, which could open as early as next month, needed just a few modifications to make it home. “The space was a quick turnaround because it was a boba and ice cream shop,” he says.
Romeu is also planning an additional Miami location at 10141 W. Flagler Street. Romeu says this one should open by the end of March 2026. The shop will serve dual purpose as both an ice cream production facility and scoop shop, with the Kendall location still baking and serving treats from its ventanita. Romeu says the new Flagler space is more centrally located for distribution as Sweet Melody grows as a brand.
Romeu founded Sweet Melody in 2019 as a love letter to his daughter (and ice cream muse), Melody, when he started experimenting with an old ice cream maker he found collecting dust in his garage. He perfected flavors — with Melody collaborating on the art work for the hand-printed labels. Soon, the homespun business grew with Miamians scrambling to get their hands on Sweet Melody’s ultra-premium ice cream made with 16% butterfat, premium ingredients, and a lot of love.
The business quickly outgrew the garage, and Romeu opened his production facility. “Those were lovely times. It was a struggle, but I miss it a lot,” he says.
Both the ice cream business and daughter Melody have grown since then. Melody is now a teen, and the pint labels aren’t hand drawn anymore. What hasn’t changed, however, is the love that goes into every scoop. “I love seeing my daughter’s name on every shop and every pint. It never gets old.”
