Scoops, an ice cream shop that features handcrafted ice cream and other sweet treats, is opening its eighth location.
Franchise owner Bob Henderson has signed a deal for a shop at 5019 W. Broad St, Suite #T134, in Sugar Hill. The space is located in the new downtown development, the city’s vision for a vibrant, walkable community.
Henderson’s “wishful timeline” is opening by May 1, he said during a phone interview with What Now Atlanta on Thursday.
The space is 815 square feet and is situated on the ground floor, behind the Eagle Theatre and overlooking the amphitheater. Todd Semrau of Urban Retail Advisors brokered the deal on behalf of the city of Sugar Hill.
Henderson, whose career has been in technology for the past two decades and faced a significant slowdown when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, wanted to change it up and do something enjoyable for his next venture. He wanted to put 2020 in the rearview mirror.
“I thought I’m going to do something different and fun, and have fun in 2021,” he said. “This is going to be a great year.”
He wanted something flexible, fun, and didn’t force him to sit in a cubicle all day. Having grown up in the restaurant business in California, although he jokingly “swore he’d never do it,” he felt comfortable to start looking into franchises. He knew the owner of Scoops, Susan Kirk, and saw the opening in Sugar Hill.
“It was an extraordinarily good fit and a good business opportunity,” he said. “What can be more fun than serving ice cream?”
The city was very supportive of the idea as well, he added, so it seemed like a great partnership on all ends. The new downtown area was built to attract residents and people to the community to come and hang out, Henderson explained. A Scoops shop seemed perfect.
In addition to the downtown area being a good match, the city’s history also seemed like a fitting location for an ice cream shop. The popular theory for the Sugar Hill origin story being that a wagon cart broke a wheel while carrying sugar into town from a train, spilling sugar on a hill in the area.
“So, an ice cream shop like Scoops makes sense,” Henderson said.
This is the eighth location for Scoops, which is more than the average ice cream shop, according to the website. Most locations offer at least 32 flavors of ice cream and numerous mix-ins, as well as 10 different types of cones, and an abundance of chocolate and candy.
Henderson started a Facebook page for the location, although he’s only posted the profile image so far, it’s gotten the shop’s social media presence going.
In the freelance tech world, it’s “feast or famine,” he said, so he’s ready for the challenge.
“Having grown up in the restaurant business, I know the amount of work this will take,” Henderson said.
He’s looking forward to such a fun endeavor. His excitement outweighs any nervousness he might have, he said.
“I feel good that I’ve done all I can do to make the right decision,” said Henderson, a self-described eternal optimist. “It can’t not work.”
[Disclosure: Todd Semrau of Urban Retail Advisors is the owner of Urban Eats Consulting Group, which is one of What Now Atlanta’s preferred partners]
