It has been a team effort. Yes, our staff, but in reality it’s you the supporter that joined us for this ride and allowed us to make it this far. Most businesses don’t make it 10 years and those who do, few of them continue to stick to their founding principles as the years progress. My guess is that pressures to conform and to grow ultimately strip businesses of their soul. Look around. Which businesses are operating out of a true desire to serve their customers with the utmost caliber of service or physical product, as opposed to trying to squeeze out more profit each year? The list is pathetically small.
We made it ten years. An interesting milestone to reflect upon. With pressures all around to grow and expand and shoot for the stars, I always felt that once the journey begins down that path, something would have to give and it usually means the caliber of the product or the health of the organization/leader(s). So, a few years ago I decided to fiercely stay small, unless an opportunity arose that would allow us to maintain the integrity of our offering AND not cost me and our team additional stress outside of the typical demands of work. So far that opportunity has not emerged and that’s wonderful. This balance allows Love’s to operate with a culture that values the human input, and in turn provides a quality work environment for our staff. Small business is no joke, and is not for everyone. But the value of staying true to our ethos, of knowing the impact we make on people through our laboring, the costs of choosing a more difficult path and higher caliber ingredients, is worth it in the end. We still have soul. The work required at Love’s is still worth getting out of bed for because we stand for something, not just growing the bottom line.
Thank you for joining us on this journey, for the kind notes of delight and praise, for your support of this black sheep of the ice cream industry. We are supremely heartened by your stories of finding a seat at the table here — whether that is dietary allergies/intolerance/preference, or that you trust us enough in your eating disorder recovery to treat yourself here, or the memories made with your families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues, or that you simply can’t get enough of Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie. We’ve catered for thousands of you over the years at your big milestone life events from weddings to funerals, business successes/milestones, graduations, appreciations, and every celebration in between. It has been an honor to serve you in this capacity.
Keeping these treats as minimally processed as we’re able makes a big difference in the final product. Not everyone understands this or cares, but it’s what drives Love’s to keep the bar raised high and sticking to our founding values. Here’s 10 years of thank yous for helping us get here.
Chris