17 March 19-25, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | YOUR GUIDE TO MIAMI’S TOP TABLES SCAN FOR FULL LIST Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Living Legend At 80, the man behind A.C.’s Icees is still going strong in Coconut Grove. BY VICTORIA STANZIONE F or nearly 50 years, A.C.’s Icees has been a Coconut Grove ritual. At 80, the man behind the truck with the blue-and-yellow striped um- brella is still serving delicious fro- zen lemonade to generations of Miami families. On a warm afternoon at David T. Kennedy Park, his white truck with images of lemons depicted along the bottom sits exactly where it has for nearly half a century. Runners loop along the waterfront path, kids chase dogs through the grass, and a small line forms in front of the window where frozen lemonade has been served for generations. Inside the truck, Allan “A.C.” Cohen greets customers who often feel less like strangers and more like extended family. Tanned, laid back, and with his signature long hair grazing his shoulders, A.C. has been serving his signa- ture frosted lemonade at Kennedy Park since 1978. In that time, A.C.’s Icees has become more than a refreshment stand. For many Mi- amians, an A.C.’s pit stop is a ritual: a carpool stop after school pickup, a post-run treat, a childhood memory passed down through generations. “I’ll have somebody come up and say, ‘I grew up with you, and now my kids are grow- ing up with you,’” A.C. says. “After 48 years, I’m on third generations [of families].” Turning 80 has not slowed him down. A.C. remains sharp, proud, funny, and stubborn in the best way. Integrity, he says, has always been the real engine behind A.C.’s Icees. Over the years, he refused to cut corners, water down the product, or partner with people who did not share his values. Even now, he keeps an active lifestyle. While he no longer plays softball, runs mara- thons, or bikes a hundred miles a week, as he once did, A.C. still walks his dogs two or three miles a day and heads to the gym several times a week. “I’m not one of those people who just lie around,” he says. On Sunday, March 8, Kennedy Park looked a little more festive than usual. Coconut Grove Magazine and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado showed up to celebrate A.C.’s 80th birthday with a red carpet, balloons, photos, and a crowd of friends, neighbors, and longtime customers who have spent decades stopping by his truck for a frozen lemonade. The celebration even included an official proclamation from the Miami-Dade Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commission- ers declaring the day “Allan ‘A.C.’ Cohen Day.” Coconut Grove Magazine captured the moment on Instagram, writing, “Today we celebrated A.C.’s 80th Birthday, and we liter- ally pulled out the red carpet for him, because he is a true Grove Icon.” For many in attendance, the moment felt like a long-overdue thank you to the man who turned a simple idea into one of Coconut Grove’s most beloved traditions. ▼ Café Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar At 80, the legendary founder of A.C.’s Icees in Coconut Grove is still serving frozen lemonade to generations of families at Kennedy Park. >> p18
