Vannah Banana halts ice cream production as founder Kianu Walker pivots to baked goods with his father

Kianu Walker has hit the pause button on his Vannah Banana line of vegan ice cream, which he had been selling through several outlets.

His business started in 2020 after experiments on several Cuisinart ice cream machines, first using soy milk and then almond milk before he arrived at a creamy dessert using coconut milk. He added such flavors as Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, cookie butter, green tea matcha, and coconut chocolate chip.

“Business challenges have spilled into my personal life,” said Walker, 28, declining to get more specific. “Life is a beautiful balance of good and bad. All the lessons, I’m appreciative of them and embrace them.”

The Vannah Banana brand (named for Walker’s sister Savannah) continues. Walker’s father, George, is a longtime vegan baker. “When I started, my dad said, ‘There’s a market for it,’” Walker said. George Walker started baking last year.

The two are now selling baked goods, such as cookies, lemon cake, and sweet potato pie to Nourish (177 W. Girard Ave.) and Hibiscus Cafe (4907 Catharine St.).

The Walkers have found that baked goods are a better year-round business than ice cream. The move has also allowed Kianu Walker to take what he calls “a step back.”

“Now I can work on other aspects of my life so I can come back stronger,” he said.