Skylar Thoms dreamt of opening her own community-oriented ice cream shop. The dream was turned into a reality when Skylar’s Skoops opened on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Skylar, her husband Derek and her two children moved to the Shoals area from California to be closer to her family. Skylar wanted to open a small-town, community-based business that would continue her own family’s tradition of nightly ice cream outings, as well as see that same enjoyment in other families.
“We wanted families to have something that we’ve loved so much growing up and bringing our kids to, and we wanted to continue to bring our daughters to an ice cream shop,” said Skylar Thoms.
Skylar was a stay-at-home mom in California, raising two girls. When they moved to the Shoals, Skylar wanted her girls to see her build a business from the ground up. From this, the idea of Skylar’s Skoops was born, and construction was underway.
Derek Thoms was able to complete the construction within the building himself because of his background in that field. He placed the flooring, installed a separative wall for a back room, painted the walls and built the facilities. He did this in the timespan of just over a month, because the Thoms wanted to make sure opening day would take place while it was still warm out.
Once construction was completed, Skylar began working on bringing the establishment to life through imaginative decor. Upon walking in, guests are welcomed with pristine white walls, neon lights, a photo wall, colorful chairs and a playful kid’s corner. This corner was the first to be completed, a “must-have” for Skylar.
With her having her own two daughters, Skylar wanted a specific spot where children can come and make their own memories. There’s play sets, plenty of toys and endless coloring tools.
The Thoms also chose to have a television-free establishment for a more “wholesome environment.” They wanted families and friends to speak and engage with limited devices. So far, they are ecstatic to see everyone’s face-to-face interactions.
“I just want to be known as the place where everyone feels welcomed, where families come and gather around the table,” said Skylar Thoms. “I always say this, but I wanted families to come and gather, just hangout.”
Skylar’s Skoops offers a variety of Blue Bell ice cream flavors. They make a variety of ice cream concoctions, including up to three scoops of ice cream with any desired toppings, sundaes, and Skylar’s personal favorite, milkshakes. Their current flavor list can be found on their social media, @skylar’sskoops on Facebook and Instagram.
There are lots of specific specials listed on their menu, most named after their family members. The Thoms hold family above all else, which transpires to how they run their shop.
Some of the workers, noted by the Thoms as “scoopers,” also have their own creations for guests to order. Most of the “scoopers” employed come from local high schools and middle schools, which requires a detailed weekly schedule. Skylar and Derek expressed their gratitude for each of their workers, saying they owe much of where they are now with the shop’s success to their scoopers.
“We treat them more like family,” said Skylar.
There is also a signature challenge called “Skylar’s Sink.” It features one scoop of every ice cream flavor on display and must be finished by one person within 31 minutes. If accomplished, the winner receives a free t-shirt and a 50$ gift card to the shop. Inspiration for this challenge came from their favorite ice cream shop back in California.
Skylar Thoms and her family have created an establishment built off of seeing the joy from other families in the community. On the business front, they have donated coupons to local schools encouraging perfect attendance, and also collaborated with athletics.
The future of Skylar Skoops consists of expanding their shop next door to their current location. Skylar and Derek plan on keeping their current location as a party rental place, something Skylar cannot wait to host.
Until then, be sure to check out Skylar’s social media pages for plenty of family fun.
They will host a bounce-house Halloween celebration on Oct. 31 from 12:00-6:30 p.m. Families are encouraged to wear their costumes for some trick or treating.
