Courtesy Melt Ice Creams
The now iconic yellow storefront of Melt Ice Creams first opened its doors on a slightly-less-trafficked Rosedale Avenue in April of 2014. The tiny shop, which eventually moved to Magnolia Avenue (and now has several locations), was a lynchpin in what became one of the most bustling areas of Fort Worth: the Near Southside.
Days leading up to the opening, friends of Melt Ice Creams’ founder, Kari Crowe Seher, and her husband, Mark, helped paint and construct the new brick and mortar in exchange for a taste of what the shop would offer.
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Courtesy Melt
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Courtesy Melt
“It was a really glued-together and nailed-together shop with a lot of love and heart that went into it,” Crowe Seher says. “That first day, I had no idea who would show up or if anyone would show up beside my friends. We were really wowed when we opened our doors and were immediately received by the community. The feedback we got was that something like this was missing in the community, and they wanted a place to bring their kids.”
With nine year-round flavors, seasonal offerings, and more specialty items, the Magnolia shop routinely has lines out the door and has continued to grow and thrive; Melt now has three locations spread out around the Metroplex — yes, even in Dallas.
“Anyone who gets into the food industry has to be a little naive as to how hard it’s going to be,” Crowe Seher says. “I’ve been here for almost two decades. I moved to Fort Worth when I was 20 and fell in love with everything Fort Worth represents. Fort Worth has this natural feel of good people and good hospitality.”
As the shop’s eighth anniversary approached, Crowe Seher attended the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership summit in Washington, D.C.
The competitive program, which only accepts 20 women a year, is a designated place for female chefs and restaurateurs across the country to train, network, and support one another.
“That group has been altering for me because it’s created a staging environment of women that I lean on to ask questions about best practices, navigating situations, and giving feedback,” Crowe Seher says. “The summit was educational, inspirational, and connected us to more women in the food industry — women who were trying to have an impact on their community and have an impact on whatever city they [reside] across the country.”
Kelsey Shoemaker
Aside from serving up scoops, Melt has been one of the community’s most philanthropic companies, championing the Birthday Party Project, a Dallas-based nonprofit that throws birthday parties for children experiencing homelessness. Melt has donated to 150 birthday parties so far.
“It’s such a great organization for us to partner with because they are able to believe in the magic of a celebration and the joy of a birthday party, which aligns so much with our philosophy,” Crowe Seher says.
The shop also prides itself on its work environment and attention to young employees who it hopes to provide an educational first job experience. In the next few years, Melt intends to focus on their internal goal of continuing to make a lasting impression with its robust flavors and strong connection to the community.
“I wanted to create something that made our city proud and was a place that our community could be a part of and experience,” she says. “It’s done really well, but it’s important to me that we continue to push the needle and continue to improve, and become the best ice cream shop in the metroplex.”
