Goodbye, 2032 South Lamar
Over five years ago I came across a tiny, charming storefront that was a bit rough around the edges. It sat back off South Lamar Boulevard, behind a parking lot that was ridden with potholes and it shared a wall with the iconic Austin bar, The Horseshoe Lounge. The walls were made of solid stone from the Texas Hill Country and it embodied everything I had always loved about old South Austin. I was immediately obsessed with that being the home of Lick Honest Ice Creams and to me, any other space was simply not an option.
Once we had secured a lease and the keys were in our hands, Chad and I went right to work. We labored for months during the hottest summer in Austin history with the help of friends and family to ready the shop for its opening day. We even had members of the neighborhood, total strangers to us, offer to help. After more than five long months of actual blood, sweat and tears, we opened the shop in October of 2011. I cannot express how proud, terrified and exhausted we were on that first day of business. And although we’ve said it before, THANK YOU to each person who helped us get that door open. I hope you all know just how truly appreciated your assistance and support was and still is.
To say that this shop has felt like a home to us over these years is not a stretch. When we first opened, I worked in this shop over 100 hours a week for about a year, Chad was commuting to and from his job in San Antonio everyday and my sister, April, was right by our side. It really did feel like the three of us lived there. Originally, all of our ice cream was made in the tiny kitchen in this precious shop and you could watch me make it through the window in the door to the kitchen. That first spring, when we really began to get busy and the line would form down the hall, our customers would give me a thumbs up in the window. Sometimes y’all would even open the door and say “You can do it!” I really needed to hear that and I’ll never forget it. Thank you.
Throughout the years, we’ve gotten to know our regular customers and you us. Countless friendships have been formed, we’ve seen neighborhood kids grow up and celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and holidays with y’all. We’ve been there for each other through breakups and witnessed more first dates than we could have ever imagined.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. There was the time that the entire kitchen flooded and the summer that the air conditioner decided that keeping the air at 85 degrees was good enough. We disagreed. And we cannot forget the time that the city accidently removed our electric meter while I was churning ice cream. Apparently, the disconnect request had the wrong address on it. We’ve also had a very touchy toilet that has required a constant attention and a demanding maintenance schedule. We just chalked it up to the “character” of our treasured building.
But this Wednesday night, that all came to a close. Chad and I along with our South Lamar staff scooped our last scoop of ice cream at this beloved shop. As much as we would love to stay, we know it’s time to go. This shop has made us so happy and served us well over the years but we must move on. We’ll have a new home just up the street at Lamar Union where we can offer our guests a bit more space, more parking, and the same fantastic ice cream. Most importantly, we’ll be able to do so for many more years to come. Over the past few weeks I’ve really been thinking about this impending move and to be honest, I was still struggling with letting go. Then I realized one simple truth, it wasn’t the building that made 2032 South Lamar our home, it was all of you, our supporters. See y’all just up the road.
