OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The Golden Scoop opened in April in Overland Park, providing the disability community with a new employment opportunity.
41 Action News checked in on how they’re doing two months after the grand opening.
“I have so much fun here. It’s the best place to work,” said golden Scoop employee Lucy Wagner.
She and her coworkers have the daily routine down before customers walk through the doors.
“After putting on gloves, I get to making coffee. Have the canisters ready, out and ready to go,” Wagner explained.
“I might be on the ice cream counter, I’m often at the register and I’m really good at that,” said Golden Scoop employee Ian Miller.
Golden Scoop volunteers have it down, too. That includes recent Rockhurst graduate, Mark O’Donnell, who is headed to Purdue in the fall.
“I scoop all day, I give them big portions and have them come back for more ice cream,” he said.
That ice cream is pre-scooped, a new part of the Golden Scoop operation that sets up for a smoother delivery from staff to customer.
“We were brainstorming ways to keep them successful, and with the lines that we had out the door, not only did it keep them successful, but it kept things running efficiently,” said Golden Scoop co-owner Lindsay Krumbholz.
The staff has picked up everything quickly.
“There's a lot of complicated equipment in the shop and all of them have tried it, and are growing more confident, or have mastered it, so it's really cool to watch,” said Amber Schreiber, Lindsay’s sister and co-owner of the Golden Scoop.
“A lot of these workers are overlooked in the workforce, and they bring some of the best customer service and energy to work,” O’Donnell said.
There are more potential employees waiting in the wings.
“We have 21 employees that we've employed so far, we have 35 on a waitlist for employment. So there's definitely a need out there,” Krumbholz said.
In the sweet space, they’re changing lives.
“I do have value, and that’s honestly really important no matter what your profession is,” Miller said.
Changing lives, and changing minds.
“We do things differently and we do things sometimes slower, and sometimes we go faster than normal, but that’s just how we are,” Wagner said.
The Golden Scoop has its sights set on expansion.
The owners told 41 Action News they want to take on small catering events and commercial kitchen space, and they also said they want to have more locations in a Kansas City community that has supported them since their April 14 opening.
The Golden Scoop is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
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Lucy developed her own dairy-free flavor of ice cream called "Lucy's 41," which she named after being interviewed by 41 Action News before the store's opening. It's such a success, The Golden Scoop has run out and is in the process of making even more. If you try Lucy's creation, be sure to take a picture and tag us!
