How a local desert vendor is bringing Rock Hill together.
By Kyan Feser
Staff Writer
Mural By @bluvelv3t_
AC&T
Vampire Penguin opened its doors to downtown Rock Hill in October 2025. While the business offers various desserts, their star attractions are shaved snows, which are fluffy ice treats inspired by similar desserts found in Southeast Asia.
Unlike contemporary shaved ice vendors, Vampire Penguin flavor-infuses its water before freezing it, allowing for an even distribution of flavor, said Carolyn Kutz, the owner of Vampire Penguin. The ice is then shaved at very low temperatures, allowing it to shave “like snowflakes,” she explained.
“It’s very light, it’s very fluffy, it’s water-based. All of our snows are gluten free. Nearly all of our snows are dairy free. We shave into a mold, we flip it upside down, we put it on a plate, and then we put different toppings on it to make our desserts.”
Aside from snows, Vampire Penguin offers teas, hot chocolate, and their newly launched bubble waffles, uniquely-shaped waffles topped with Nutella and fruits, Kutz explained. They soon plan on launching flights, which are miniature-sized versions of their frozen desserts on a tray, she added.
While deciding on a location for the business, Kutz chose Rock Hill for its walkability and restaurant scene, she said. While there are around 40 Vampire Penguin locations nationwide, Kutz plans on expanding locally, she explained.
“We are actually a licensee of Vampire Penguin, so we licensed all of York County. This is our flagship store. God willing, this is going to take off, and we’ll be putting another store or two in York County.”
Kutz also purchased a food trailer in December and hopes to host pop-ups at Winthrop University in the spring, she said. In the meantime, Vampire Penguin has already supported Winthrop students in various ways.
Inside Vampire Penguin, art from various Winthrop students lines the walls. Maggie Petermann’s painted vinyls are splashed with color, and Sabr Lateefuddin’s portraits come in all shapes and sizes. Lateefuddin also created a massive mural for the business, which is proudly displayed near the central eating area.
“I’ve been drawing since I could first remember,” Lateefuddin said. Being a design major at Winthrop, Lateefuddin joined Student Made, a new organization hosted inside the Hickory Post in downtown Rock Hill, adjacent to Vampire Penguin. Student Made showcases student art, and Carolyn Kutz saw Lateefuddin’s work.
“She loved my work so she messaged me on Instagram, and she was like, ‘hey I was wondering if you would be looking for commissions,’ so I literally could not have done it without Student Made,” she explained.
Kutz plans to host additional art shows inside Vampire Penguin, and has already contacted various organizations, Kutz said.
Outside of the art world, Vampire Penguin has aided in several fundraisers around the area, such as Winthrop’s Delta Zeta chapter’s Heart for Hearing and Speech program, said Skyler Upton, a Delta Zeta member.
“We were supposed to do one with Texas Roadhouse and they ghosted us,” said Upton, who is also an employee at Vampire Penguin. After beginning work at the store, Upton approached Carolyn Kutz with the idea for philanthropy, to which she replied, “I was just thinking about doing that.”
“My philanthropy person got in touch with her, and like, the next weekend was doing it, so it was awesome.”
At the end of the day, “we really want to be part of the community and help the community,” Kutz said.
“So if anyone is interested in fundraising, Vampire Penguin is a very interested party.”
Vampire Penguin is located at 212 E Main St Suite 101 & 102 in Rock Hill, SC. You can find Sabr Lateefuddin’s work @bluvelv3t_ and Maggie Petermann’s work @m.art.petermann on Instagram.
