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By Olaf Growald
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By Olaf Growald
Gypsy Scoops feels like walking into a small-town ice cream shop. The parlor is bright, colorful and delightfully old-timey, with quirky, retro touches. Its Race Street location sports a piano on the porch and a collection of classic board games (minus a few pieces). Its recently opened South Main location, though more rustic to match the vibe of the Near Southside neighborhood, carries the same character — both stores have a stash of assorted bottled soda and candies, complete with every flavor of moon pie available.
The classic, hometown vibe is what Gypsy Scoops owner Julie Markley aims for.
“When people come in, I want them to smile and leave thinking, ‘Okay that was a good value for my money. That was a good product,’” she says.
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By Olaf Growald
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By Olaf Growald
Markley has come a long way from pursuing ice cream as a side hustle before dropping out of corporate America to make Gypsy Scoops her full-time gig. One truck, two stores and mounds of sweet treats later, Markley is finding her place among Fort Worth’s small-business community.
She attributes her success to the spirit of the parlor — family friendly, homemade and willing to travel. What’s more, Gypsy Scoops has recognized the importance of knowing its audience and listening to them. Her company doesn’t try to be “fancy-schmancy,” Markley says — this, more than anything, sets Gypsy Scoops apart from competitors like Magnolia Avenue establishment Melt Ice Creams, whose flagship sits just minutes away from South Main Street.
“I do my own thing — I don’t do artisan,” Markley says. “We continue to want to be more nostalgic; [Melt is] more modern. It’s a different style, a different type of ice cream.”
Even with fierce competition in the DFW ice cream scene, Markley shares her admiration for fellow frozen-food entrepreneurs. She says she “wants to see everybody succeed,” name-dropping other local brands like Milwaukee Joe’s, Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream and her South Main neighbor, Alchemy Pops.
Markley also believes her partnerships with other small companies have contributed to her own success. She’s worked with Panther Island Brewing and Hot Box Biscuit Club and recently collaborated with HopFusion Ale Works for a beer and ice cream pairing event.
“People [in Fort Worth] like to support small businesses, and they like to see those collaborations,” Markley says.
The Cherry on Top
Megan Henderson, director of events and communications at Near Southside, Inc., has watched Markley grow her business from its early days as a plucky yellow ice cream truck.
“She had been a really crucial part of [Near Southside] public events,” Henderson says. “It was there that you really started to see her dream of a brick-and-mortar.”
Markley says a lack of fun was what prompted her to ditch an inventory management career in favor of something sweeter. Inspired by her cousin’s mobile ice cream parlor in Ohio, Markley saw a need in DFW that she and her family could fill.
Originally serving Blue Bell and Henry’s Homemade, Markley and husband/chef, James, began experimenting with their own frozen creations and funky flavors. She laughs, describing the moment she knew it was time to invest in an expansion.
“We started in the truck, lining up our ice cream makers and making more,” she says. “We had a gazillion of these little ice cream makers, and we were trying to make bigger batches and different flavors and experimenting. And those were the things that were selling out.”
A growing business has its challenges, however, due to the seasonal nature of ice cream sales and the fact that the workforce of ice cream scoopers is largely made up of high school and college students. Markley says she’s also learning the difference between being her own boss and being “the boss,” hoping to eventually step into the role of “owner” instead of “manager.”
“I can handle making the ice cream,” Markley says. “I can handle the business aspect of it and the inventory and all that. [Managing other people] and making sure that they’re doing what they’ve got to do is really the toughest part … I’ve just got to learn to delegate better to my people.”
For Markley, starting Gypsy Scoops was about having fun and being with family. Her son and daughter work in the parlor during the busy season, and Markley says the family business plays a central role in their day to day.
“They love the fact that I’ve got an ice cream parlor, and their friends can come in and they get free ice cream and that’s awesome,” Markley says. “But if I don’t get to go to their volleyball games or football games because I’m in the day to day, that’s the toughest part.”
Still, while the business isn’t as smooth as her signature Honey Lavender ice cream, Markley says it’s worth it — and success tastes sweet.
“This [business] is the hardest thing, but we have fun every day, and I love doing what I’m doing,” Markley says.
