KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Betty Rae’s, a beloved Kansas City ice cream shop, is reopening this spring under new ownership.
In a Facebook post, former longtime employee Alec Rodgers wrote that he and a group of “familiar faces” are excited to begin a new chapter.
"To me, Betty Rae's has always been more than just an ice cream shop," Rodgers told 41 Action News. "That was evident to me the day I started there”
Rodgers said he is "ecstatic" to take over the ship at Betty Rae's and serve the community with ice cream and in other ways, too.
He said it would not be possible without all of the former employees who have agreed to come back and share a common vision for the shops.
“The vision and desire to serve you all delicious ice cream remains the same; as does the goal to be more than just an ice cream shop to KC,” the Facebook post said.
Rodgers said customers can still expect the classic Betty Rae's experience when they walk through the door, including the same ice cream recipes (yes, the burnt ends flavor, too) and friendly atmosphere.
The previous owner said in January the shop was closed indefinitely because “2020 finally caught up with us.”
Rodgers told 41 Action News though 2020 taught Betty Rae's it needs to be agile, he hopes some sense of normalcy will return in 2021. That doesn't mean a lack of innovation, however.
"I think we are going to have to take some risks in 2021, but nothing we aren’t confident will benefit the shop,” Rodgers said.
An official reopening date and job postings will be announced in the future, Rodgers said in his post.
Betty Rae’s has two locations in Kansas City — one in Waldo that opened five years ago and a City Market location that’s been open since 2018.
Rodgers started working for Betty Rae's in 2018 and told those who asked him about plans after college, "I want to work at Betty Rae's for the rest of my life."
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