Photos by MarLee Berry.
July is National Ice Cream Month, and in the little town of Burnet, Texas, one ice cream parlor is serving up its own form of creamy goodness one homemade scoop at a time. Happy Scoops Ice Cream is located just around the corner from Burnet’s historic square. Upon entering the building, customers are welcomed by a simple, yet charming atmosphere. A sign on the front of the counter reads, “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy cows. And cows make milk, and milk makes ice cream and ice cream makes you happy.”
The owner, David Brown, calls out a greeting with a soft accent. A native of the African country of Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), Brown immigrated to the United States in 1994, and after meeting his wife Cindy, decided to make Austin his new home. Brown said ice-cream choices were limited in his city of Bulawawayo—a name meaning, “Place of Blood.”
Brown said ice-cream choices were limited in his city of Bulawawayo—a name meaning, “Place of Blood.” In fact, there was only one establishment he could recall that offered anything resembling ice cream as we know it here in the U.S. Nevertheless, Brown did not allow his inexperience to deter him. “It all just fell into place,” said Brown, “it’s all been God inspired.”
Brown’s work week actually begins on Wednesday and ends on Sunday, with the shop’s hours being 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. However, his day begins long before he places an open sign in the window. Bright and early Wednesday morning, Brown leaves his home to pick up a specialized ice cream mix, shipped from a dairy headquartered in Houston, to a distribution depot in Austin. Multiple mixes are available, however, he prefers a basic mixture made up of heavy cream, whole and skim milk, and sugar. Using a basic mix allows him a certain amount of creativity. Brown is able to fashion flavors that cater to a precise demographic.
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