Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Cuadros
Hi Lori, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I had another business that had to close it’s doors during Covid. This was the perfect opportunity for our family to move to Texas, My son was 14 at the time. He has always been very entrepreneurial. We both loved ice cream and wanted to start something new together. We decided we should open an ice cream truck. But what would be our specialty? How could we make it more than just ice cream? How can we encourage people to keep returning? We thought about Happy Meals. Some kids want them for the food, some for the toys and some for both. Even adults buy them for themselves. We thought of a few ideas but we came up with the rubber duck. They are cute, collectible and make people smile. They’re perfect for all ages. I came up with the concept and menu items and my son came up with the name. After a lot of success with the truck, we decided to open a store. We have received amazing feedback from the community and we’re so happy to be a part of it. We have hosted birthdays, scout events, car club and many other types of events. We have already held some community events and fundraisers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never a smooth road in a food truck. 🙂 We really struggled with getting a water heater that would work for our needs on the truck. At one point we had to replace the entire engine. (She’s an old truck) We have spent a lot if money getting that truck maintained and updated. She runs pretty well now. As for the store, our first contractor screwed us over. They were not paying their subcontractors so our space just sat there for 6 months. We fired them and found a new contractor. They did a great job of getting us up and running as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that meant that we weren’t able to open until 11/2/24. This was the day before daylight savings ended. So opening day was great. The following day was much slower because nobody wanted to leave the house when it was dark so early. Then the election was that Tuesday so again people did not want to leave their house. When it’s below 50 degrees, it’s also slower than we like. We are very excited for Spring to be here. We have a full schedule with the truck and we’re ready to serve everyone some fun treats.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I will first tell you that I am a terrible employee. I like to do things my way which is why I’m better at running my own business and working for myself. Before opening Duck Duck Scoop, I owned a balloon decorating business. IT was a lot of fun as far as creativity goes. Believe it or not, it’s a very physical job. Balloons also set a mood in a room and it’s usually a vibrant and happy one. We have tried to do the same thing at the shop as far as making it fun and inviting. I love that people walk in and you can hear the excitement about how cute the shop is and “look at all the ducks” Is this a franchise? Etc. People love taking pics and sharing on social media which we really appreciate. All of the menu items I have created and believe it or not, there is a purpose to the size and design of each item. I think the thing that separates us from others is our customer service. The aesthetic of the product and the look of the shop. Believe it or not, we do have a few businesses out there trying to copy our concept. We even have customers tell us “Dang, why didn’t I think of this?” It really is a unique concept and we’re very proud of it.
What’s next?
We currently serve students at 5 different high schools. We would love to get into more schools. We would also love to open more locations and maybe even franchise the store and truck. I have big plans!
Pricing:
- $5-$10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.duckduckscoop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialduckduckscoop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DuckDuckScoop/
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@officialduckduckscoop
