Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sierra & Sherry Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sierra & Sherry , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Ahoy! My name is Sierra one of the owners of Sea Scoops! I’m here to tell you that sometimes you cannot plan to have a great idea or business plan; it just comes to you. That is exactly what happened to me in the spring of 2021 while at the West Falmouth Dock. The idea : A homemade hand scooped ice cream boat on the water. Together Sherry my Mother-In-Law and I made it come to life in just 2 short months !
One day we were out on the water in West Falmouth Harbor and I was thinking, imagine an ice cream boat coming around that corner playing ice cream music ! And I thought we must have an ice cream boat! We are a boat loving family. My Father- In- Law Jeb, is a mobile marine mechanic and used to race boats! He grew up on boats and knows them in and out. My Mother-In-Law Sherry and I are the best of friends and both wanted to be on the water more. Jeb is always working on his customers boats and we thought what better way to be on the water on the weekends than an ice cream boat! We can be out there every weekend while making people’s days. Sherry and I both work during the week for Cape Cod Health Care. I’m a full time Medical Assistant and Sherry is the lead of the of Medical Records Department at Cape Cod Hospital. When we thought of Sea Scoops we were in the trenches of Covid -19. It was a very stressful dark time in health care and we thought this business idea would really bring so much joy to peoples lives including our own! It was the perfect time for Sea Scoops to set sail!
Memorial Day Weekend of 2021, Sea Scoops made a big splash in West Falmouth Harbor, cruising around selling ice cream to customers who have never seen anything quite like us before.
They loved us then and they love us now! Sea Scoops operates on the weekends, and weekend nights with our trailer. We are both busy working in health care during the week days.
We were motivated to start Sea Scoops the summer of 2021, as that was THE summer especially that everyone was craving to have fun. People needed and wanted to get outside ! They deserved to enjoy ice cream again with their family and friends after such a difficult year cooped up inside.
I think we needed something fun and exciting to do on our weekends too! A much needed break from the Covid-19 stress.
Sea Scoops got its name with my Dads help! He’s a very creative guy, an entertainer for a living. He told me he used to visit a breakfast spot in Maui back in the 1970s that was called “The Sea Scoop.” He always thought it would be a great name for an ice cream shop.
Once we got a really great name, we were even more motivated to make it happen. We got straight to work in getting our permits and licensing. It was such an exciting time!
The whole Brown family has helped with the creation and upkeep, including Jeb Brown, a boat mechanic and Sherry’s husband; My husband, Tyler Brown; Our now 20 month old son James “Jimmy” Brown comes out on the boat every weekend. He yells “Ice cream!” And hands out wooden spoons to customers. My Brother-In-Law Will Brown has been a huge help since day one and designs our menus for the boat and private events.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started working in restaurants since I was 12 years old! I have always loved serving people. I earned my Associates degree in Hospitality Management in 2015 and managed a restaurant on the water in Falmouth. I was a waitress as well for many years at a few busy restaurants around town. Sherry is an incredibly hard worker and keeps me on track! She’s disciplined and focused. She also knows how to have a great time! Together we compliment each other well as business partners and we have fun doing it!
Sea Scoops receives its ice cream from Whistle Stop Ice Cream a local shop in Monument Beach & Mashpee Commons. We wanted to support a local homemade ice cream shop, and the owners Don and Wanda have been so supportive! We serve two large scoops of homemade ice cream in each cup. We take pride in being an eco-friendly business. The cups the ice cream is served in are biodegradable and we stay away from plastic, using wooden spoons instead. We offer 13 total flavors: 10 flavors of ice cream, one sorbet, one vegan, and one no sugar added. We also offer one additional flavor, but it is not for humans. Sea Scoops sells “pup cups”—a small vegan vanilla ice cream cup topped with a milk bone treat.
When out on the water, Sea Scoops cruises around the harbor to Little Island, the south basin on Chapoquoit Beach, Black Beach and Chapoquoit Island every Saturday from 11-4. We serve a very busy island called Bassetts Island on Sundays from 1-5pm.
Landlubbers can also get ice cream from Sea Scoops from West Falmouth Dock on Saturdays or Hens Cove dock on Sundays upon launch or return.
We are very persistent and dedicated to make a sale, in the beginning I would kayak over to another boat or location to make it happen. Now Jeb our Captain maneuvers boat to boat, as we hand customers water proof menus. We are happily serving under the sun with a modern day version of the ice cream song playing in the background ! We monitor VHF channels 69 & 72 if any boaters are trying to locate us or place an order.
We found a niche ! We are very unique and are so proud of all our accomplishments so far. If anyone is interested in seeing more or booking us for an event we ask they please visit our website: seascoopsicecream.com and can follow us @seascoops on Facebook and Instagram.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media is ran solely by me and it can be a lot to manage with such a busy schedule! But, since we are so unique and mobile we always have new content to share! Since our first season we have served on the water a total of 91 days (weekends only) and have done over 250 private or public events by sea or by land with our ice cream trailer ! We serve any type of event from family reunions, weddings, birthdays, employee appreciation days, local public events, and fundraising events.
“It is absolutely all about going out there and having fun. Once we are on the boat, it’s a blast,” says Sherry.
Summer of 2022, Jeb build us an ice cream trailer ! which became our custom built kitchen and event trailer. This allowed us to be able to scoop our own ice cream and cater private parties by land.
Summer 2023 we remodeled our pontoon boat with new carpet and seating. We also started offering a full topping bar for events. Our topping bar includes: Hot fudge, hot caramel sauce, hot raspberry sauce, whip cream, chocolate Jimmie’s, rainbow sprinkles and cherries.
Summer 2024 may bring more changes with possibly adding an ice cream truck. We are always working on how we can make our business run better and smoother. It’s a constant learning process and it’s been an amazing experience ! We never would have known what works or doesn’t work without taking the risk and going out there and doing it!
The best part about running Sea Scoops is getting to spend more time as a family and putting smiles on people’s faces. No one is ever unhappy when ice cream is involved ! 😊🍨
The best advice I have regarding building a social media presence is be creative! And share what makes you unique and what makes you different from others! :)
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Our first sale on the water was unforgettable. We anchored out in West Falmouth Harbor with our first boat which was a Mako. I took a kayak that we had attached to the boat and paddled to Chapoquoit Island to a family who were enjoying themselves on their beach ! I brought our laminated menu and a smile! I was nervous but ready to sell! I pulled my kayak onto their beach and said, “Hi! My name is Sierra today is our first day on the water selling ice cream from our boat! Can I interest you in any ice cream today!? They were so excited and supportive. My first sale was $49.99 I sold 7 ice creams and this family has been our most loyal customers since. We always make sure to stop at their beach and serve them ice cream and their dog Alfie always gets a pup cup! He wags his tail when he hears the boat and knows exactly what’s coming! This memory is just one of many that has taught us to just go for it! Always smile, be friendly and “The answer is always no unless you ask!” :)
Contact Info:
- Website: Seascoopsicecream.com
- Instagram: Sea Scoops
- Facebook: Sea Scoops
Image Credits
IAN VESCERA/ ENTERPRISE Sierra Brown