A Dallas ice cream shop got quite the surprise on Friday while appearing on 'Today With Hoda & Jenna.'
Owner, Tom Landis and Vice President Coleman Jones spoke with Hota Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager virtually from the shop in Dallas.
Howdy Homemade Ice Cream opened in 2015, primarily hiring adults with special needs. When the pandemic hit, the shop was forced to close for five weeks and since it reopened, traffic is down, according to the owner.
So Landis moved Howdy Homemade from its current location on Lovers Lane to a smaller shop at 12300 Inwood Road in Dallas to save money on rent.
At the same time, a supporter of the shop launched a Go Fund Me page to help cover moving costs.
As of Friday afternoon, the page had raised almost $103,000, exceeding its $75,000 goal.
But the national TV appearance on Friday helped the shop out even more.
The Scene
During the live virtual interview, Marcus Lemonis, host of 'The Profit' on CNBC joined and gave Howdy Homemade a $50,000 grant specifically to hire more employees.
"All of us through this entire pandemic are blown away by the leadership you are showing and quite frankly the role-models that the two of you are for the rest of us. So we want to provide this grant to you, to help you get your business to the next level," said Lemonis.
Jones responded saying "Unbelievable."
Landis chimed in, adding "I can't thank you enough. I can't thank the City of Dallas enough. You know more than 1,300 people support us."
Lemonis even committed to traveling to Howdy Homemade and helping Jones and Landis work through some techniques and even working the front counter one afternoon.
