This Ice Cream Shop Does What Most Do Not, Gets Surprise Reward

Howdy Homemade, located in Dallas, Texas, is an ice cream shop known for its original and delicious flavors that everyone craved for. This industry has a steel conviction that the restaurant is about people first before food. Their vision is to change the outlook of the world about people and see and realize everyone’s potential. This belief stood the test of time by having 13 restaurants in two decades.

Howdy Homemade’s founder is Tom Landis. His hope and view are to create jobs for special needs adults that no one else will. Together with his first hire Manuel Ramirez, they worked with numerous organizations to hire, train, and employ people with down syndrome and autisms. And one of these is Coleman Jones, who has many potentials and leadership that impressed and inspired Landis to open the store. He is now the face of the sweet store.

Like any industry or establishments, Howdy Homemade is operating at a loss due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It was inevitable to close the original store in Lovers Lane to move to a smaller space, save Landis several thousands of dollars in expenditure, and ensure the employees’ safety. Even after reopening, there was still the risk of permanent closure because the costumers and catering orders were limited. But God intervenes by sending him people from all over Dallas to surround and rallied around him.

A friend of Landis organized a GoFundMe campaign and raised over $100,000 for the shop and caught more attention. The sweet success starts with a virtual of fans who cheered on them, and one of them was CNBC’s “The Profit” host Marcus Lemonis who granted them $50,000 for them to get to the next level and to hire more people specifically. With this, they can create more jobs and grow even further.

It is indeed a great story! It reinforces the need to be thinking beyond our challenges in this pandemic.