Sweet success: Daniel Cuevas ’24 turns his childhood dream into reality

Every time a teenage Daniel Cuevas ’24 drove past Banana Split, Aurora’s beloved ice cream stand, he’d turn to whoever was in the passenger seat and say, “Man, I would do anything to own that place.”

“They would always laugh,” Cuevas said. “But I meant it.”

Last summer, at 28, Cuevas made that teenage dream a reality, purchasing the shop from longtime owners Randy and Lisa Brown. For more than 40 years, Banana Split has been an Aurora institution — a no-frills, neon-lit oasis of creamy soft serve and nostalgia. Now, under his watch, it’s entering a new chapter, one that blends tradition with fresh ideas.

Cuevas grew up just down the street, and Banana Split was more than a summer treat; it was part of the fabric of his childhood. While many dream of owning their favorite hometown hangout, few actually make it happen.

After high school, Cuevas enlisted in the U.S. Marines, serving for four years in the states and abroad, before returning home to enroll in college on the GI Bill — starting at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and transferring to Aurora University.

As an undergraduate, he studied Finance and majored in Business Administration, working in sales to support his education. Some of his peers aimed for corporate jobs, but he had other plans. “I always knew I wanted to work for myself,” he said.

When the Browns put up the “for sale” sign in 2024, just as Cuevas was graduating from AU, he wasted no time. He had been laying the groundwork for years — so much so that the Browns still had an old email from him expressing interest long before the shop was ever officially on the market. That level of commitment sealed the deal.

Cuevas credits what he had learned in his financial accounting course at AU for making the transition into ownership smoother — he secured a small business loan from Heartland Bank & Trust Co. to finance the purchase. His business training combined with his military experience put all the tools for entrepreneurship at his disposal.

“The Marines teaches you discipline, problem solving, leadership — everything you need to run a business,” he said. Cuevas compares running a small business to leading a team: keeping things running, handling challenges, solving problems, and making sure everyone, from employees to customers, feels valued.

Building on tradition

For Cuevas, owning Banana Split isn’t just about keeping the soft serve flowing. It’s about community.

Families have been coming for decades. Customers order the signature banana split — a classic trio of vanilla, chocolate, and homemade strawberry soft serve — without even looking at the menu. Parents introduce their kids to the same flavors they grew up with. “This is a special place,” Cuevas said. “It’s part of people’s lives.”

It’s that deep connection that drives his business philosophy. He plans to honor the longstanding business while taking steps to keep it relevant. His first goal is to partner with local businesses. He brought in cold brew coffee from Aurora-based Dapper Brews, and he is expanding the menu to include fresh fruit.

He is giving back in other ways too. Recently, he hosted a fundraiser for the Aurora University Student Nurses’ Association, and he plans to do more community partnerships in the future.

While Banana Split remains his focus, Cuevas is already thinking ahead. Adding more stores? Maybe. Franchising? Possibly. But for now, he’s savoring the moment — because every so often, he’ll drive down the same street he grew up on, catch sight of the neon Banana Split sign, and feel the same rush of excitement he did as a teenager.

“Owning it is everything I thought it was going to be,” he said.

This story is an excerpt from the spring/summer 2025 issue of AU Magazine. Read the full issue online.