For the last three years, being a “super scooper” has meant a lot of things to Jack Melvin.
He’s been a piece of the puzzle at Overland Park ice creamery The Golden Scoop since it opened in the spring of 2021. As an employee at the Golden Scoop, his responsibilities range from spinning and scooping ice cream to making coffee drinks and helping keep the shop clean.
But really, his favorite part of the job is the customers who walk through the door.
“Just serving customers and greeting them when they come in, and being nice to them,” he said.
Melvin and his fellow super scoopers will get to meet a whole batch of new customers soon. The popular ice cream and coffee shop — which employs adults who have developmental and intellectual disabilities — will officially open its second Overland Park location on Aug. 22.
The Golden Scoop will be at 10460 W. 103rd St.
- The ice cream shop moved into a space at the Wycliff West Shopping Center, just off West 103rd Street and U.S. Highway 69.
- McDonald’s previously occupied that space before closing at the end of 2020.
- Once it opens, the Golden Scoop will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (with drive-thru only from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.), and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
- The shop serves up flavors like mint chocolate chip, cookie dough and coffee toffee, as well as baked goods and coffee drinks.
The new location has more space, new features
In addition to being larger than the flagship location at 95th Street and Nall Avenue, Rachel Haskell, shift manager at the Golden Scoop, said the 103rd Street shop comes equipped with a drive-thru.
That new feature will serve as not just a bonus for on-the-go customers, Haskell said, but it offers a chance for employees to exercise new skills — part of the goal of the expansion.
“We have shift managers who have backgrounds in (occupational therapy) and other healthcare fields, and are really able to provide that one-on-one support,” she said. “If an employee wants to learn how to do something, we’ll do everything in our power to teach them that.”
The new location will also employ nearly 50 new “super scoopers” and operate under longer hours than the location in the Nall Hills Shopping Center.
“It will be everything that we do here, but on a bigger scale,” Haskell said. “We’ll have a lot more room to be able to do wholesale orders and support a lot of employees with different ability levels. There will be something for everyone.”
The original Golden Scoop opened three years ago
Sisters Amber Schreiber and Lindsay Krumbholz opened The Golden Scoop’s flagship location at 9540 Nall Ave. in April 2021.
The duo aimed to help address the high unemployment rate for adults with developmental disabilities. The Golden Scoop had a loyal following almost from the start, becoming popular for both its sweet treats and the mission behind the store.
“(The new location) is really exciting because it helps meet that need of this population that has so much to offer, but not a lot of opportunity to work and show their skills,” Haskell said. “We’re excited about being able to continue to shorten that gap.”
Haskell said she hopes to see other businesses take on similar concepts in the community as well.
“Everyone that we employ has so much to offer, and they’re so gifted and talented in their own ways,” she said. “The goal is that (employing people with disabilities) could just be a normal, everyday thing.”
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