Spotlight on Howdy Homemade

Looking for fun things to do with your family?

Check out the calendar on dfwchild.com to see what cool things are happening—festivals, events and family-friendly destinations. Get out and take advantage of all that Dallas–Fort Worth has to offer.

Visit our calendar:

dfwchild.com/calendar

Scan with your phone’s camera

facebook.com/dfwchild

instagram.com/dfwchildmag

pinterest.com/dfwchild

twitter.com/dfwchild

SPOTLIGHT ON HOWDY HOMEMADE

Happiness and hope in every scoop

WORDS ELIZABETH SMITH

MY 6-YEAR-OLD NIECE and I can personally attest that the Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip flavor tastes, as she put it, “Oooh yummy! Ahh!” We had both opted for a scoop of Howdy Homemade’s signature, soda-infused ice cream in a waffle cone, then jointly proclaimed our new mission: to try every single flavor this year—and I’ve already got my eye on Parker County Peach for next time.

It’s clear from our recent visit that the North Dallas ice cream company has found the right formula, both as a thriving business known for its original flavors, and better still for employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome and autism. Founder and owner Tom Landis sees this not as a charity but as a smart business model that he hopes becomes an industry standard.

“I stand in awe of my employees,” says Landis, describing his team’s unending patience with clients and fellow employees, their diligence in performing tasks, and the pride they take in their work. “In the culinary industry, we need consistency, and that’s where our employees excel.”

With a franchise location now open in Katy (near Houston), one coming to Lubbock and more in the pipeline, business is booming. Landis founded Howdy Homemade Ice Cream back in 2015 and runs the company alongside Coleman Jones, who has Down syndrome and was the company’s first employee.

The 15 “Howdy Heroes” on staff are trained to make and freeze the ice cream as well as make the cone batter. They greet clients with a warm Texas “hello,” offer generous samples, and scoop and serve the treats.

Try your choice of the more than 30 rotating flavors, including a dairy-free sorbet. “My main thing is we never run out of Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip, and if the music isn’t on, we have to sing,” Landis quips. To simplify the point-of-sale transactions, the register takes cards and dollar bills only, eliminating the need to tediously count back coins.

For ice cream on the go, you can grab a pint from the in-store freezer. Plus, you can now find six special flavors for sale in pints at more than 100 H-E-B stores. In fact, Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip recently earned Howdy Homemade third place in the grocery chain’s Quest for Texas Best competition, and Landis says the company now sets aside 25 cents from the sale of each pint to create jobs.

The staff’s latest effort is a massive tour to every single H-E-B store where Howdy Homemade pints are sold and offering samples to shoppers. All of the flavors sold in pints at H-E-B are printed with images of employees, including Howdy Hero Brandt—the face of a flavor called Chocolate As All Get-Out. “They feel like rock stars,” Landis says.

Stay tuned for more on the horizon from Howdy Homemade, including a possible new flavor that Landis describes as a genius idea from an employee during a brainstorming session: “two words: Shirley Temple.”

Landis aspires not only for the company’s and employees’ success, but to improve the quality of life for locals with special needs. “I’ve never met someone with special needs who isn’t lonely,” says Landis, as he spoke about his hopes to organize a social club for group outings—like renting out a movie theater—to help build connections and friendship within the special needs community outside of work. Wouldn’t that be sweet.

Go Say Howdy!

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream

12300 Inwood Road, Suite 200, Dallas 214/484-1552; howdyhomemade.com

To inquire about a position, email kari@howdyhomemade.com.

ABOVE // The shop’s Howdy Heroes make the ice cream, then greet and serve customers unique flavors such as Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Milkshake.