The Golden Scoop

Overview

At The Golden Scoop, the ice cream is made in-house. The coffee is roasted to perfection. There are smiling greeters when you walk in. But this isn’t just any ice cream shop and coffee house. The employees are not called employees; they are Super Scoopers. The Super Scoopers at The Golden Scoop are individuals with developmental disabilities. The business is structured with the goal of providing as many different jobs for the Super Scoopers as possible. Often times, people with developmental disabilities need to do the same task every day. There are six specific jobs at The Golden Scoop and the owners work hard at finding what each individual shines at. The ice cream flavors are on a rotation and they offer dietary restricted ice cream such as dairy-free. The best part? The Super Scooper of the Month in charge of developing the ice cream flavor, naming, and marketing the new flavor of the month. The Golden Scoop name comes from a group of individuals that belong to a dance group called The Golden Stars. Many of the employees come from there. The dance group wanted to stay together so it would be an easy transition in keeping up their social lives. Michelle Reeves, director of marketing at The Golden Scoop, recalls a sweet story before The Golden Scoop opened its doors. “One Super Scooper was so nervous about succeeding at his new job, his sister emailed and said, ‘this is the first time in four months that he’s smiled about anything.’ That’s just so uplifting to hear. It’s been difficult for individuals with developmental disabilities since 2020. Social interaction is so important. We put a smile on someone’s face with even having the suggestion of a job opportunity.” When you open the door to The Golden Scoop, we’re betting you’ll smile too.