Destination Desserts: Scoop Handmade Ice Cream Portland

This week's Destination Desserts feature is on Scoop Handmade Ice Cream in Portland, Oregon.  I had an opportunity to catch up with owner Amanda Rhoads about her fresh-made artisan ice cream biz that she started in 2010.  Amazing and unique flavors like their salted caramel (best seller), strawberry balsamic and roasted sweet corn set them apart from other competitors.  They have developed quite a following of Portlanders who simply can't get enough of their delicious frozen desserts.  To learn more about Scoop, check out the interview below.

Photo courtesy of Scoop Handmade Ice Cream

1.  What made you start a food truck business?

While food carts (as we call them in Portland) were exploding around town, I was working as a city planner on long-range projects.  I loved my work, but the report writing and word manipulation that was my trade did leave me feeling a bit disconnected from actually producing something real and feeling that what I was doing had an impact.  I had dreams of opening a European-style soup shop in Portland, and thought a food cart would be a great way to get that underway.  By the time I got laid off in 2009, though, there were a number of successful soup carts in Portland, and my thoughts turned to another area where Portland was woefully underserved: ice cream.  I quickly realized that A.) you can't make ice cream at a commercial scale in a little truck; B.) if I actually wanted to stay in business, I would have to sell a lot of ice cream and C.) I would need employees if I wanted to be open longer than the few hours at night when my husband was home from work.  My vision of a girl and her truck quickly turned into large equipment at a commercial kitchen, two retail food cart locations and daily farmers market stalls around Portland, with lots of employees to help.  I've learned a lot about ice cream and running a business, and I know I've still really just begun!

Photo courtesy of Scoop Handmade Ice Cream

2.  What is the worst truck disaster you have encountered so far?

 

Our original stepvan is a 1963 "three-on-the-tree" stick shift which does not seem to like to run and also has way more weight in the back than it was designed for.  On several occasions when I have driven it, it's been terror-inducing.  I'm constantly leaning to be upright, and I swear I'm going to tip right over.  When the truck is on the slightest incline, it just falls backwards.  I try to avoid driving it altogether whenever possible.  I have high hopes that my new truck will be much more driver-friendly!

 

3.  What is the largest order you have ever received in person?

 

Our salted caramel is our most popular flavor by far- that and the salted caramel stracciatella, which has dark chocolate flecks throughout.  Once at a farmers market, a fellow asked to buy a larger quantity of it.  We said all we had there was a 2.5 gallon box.  He said, "that's perfect!" and took the whole thing!  He basically bought 15 pounds of salted caramel ice cream without batting an eye.

 

Photo Courtesy of Scoop Handmade Ice Cream

 

4.  What is the hardest part of running a food truck?

 

In some ways, ice cream is really hard to deal with - we always need electricity, and we go though a lot of dry ice at our farmers markets.   One of the hardest operational things about running a food cart in Portland, where cart are largely stationary, is getting all the ice cream and dry goods to the cart, inventory tracking, moving stuff around and last minute calls from employees saying we need cups or pint containers.  You also constantly battle with lack of storage.  And of course the seasonality of the business is really hard on all food carts.  Selling a popular summertime treat is almost like a double-whammy.  Our sales drop off at least 90% in the dead of winter.

 

Photo courtesy of Scoop Handmade Ice Cream

 

5.  What is next for your food truck?

 

We just bought a new truck that we're outfitting for catering but also for another food cart pod location, so our food cart empire is still expanding!  My main mission this year is to open a brick-and-mortar shop.  I've been growing very slowly, mostly because I now have two small children and have been focused on spending a lot of time with them along with the business.   But I think its time to bring Scoop to the next level and introduce our great ice cream to all the Portlanders who never find their way to a food cart.  I have lots of ideas for the store, and I'm really excited to build out my own kitchen just the way I want.  We'll always keep the food carts, though- the food cart environment in Portland is special, and I value being a part of it.

 

To learn more about Scoop, visit them here