More Than Ice Cream & Snoballs: Why Community Matters at Flying Dolly’s

There are plenty of places to get ice cream.

There are plenty of places to get a snoball.

But when we started Flying Dolly’s in Mandeville, Louisiana, in 2011, we wanted to build something that could mean more to a community than simply being another place to buy dessert.

We wanted Flying Dolly’s to become the kind of neighborhood business where families know our employees, kids celebrate good report cards, teams stop by after games, teachers are appreciated, schools hold fundraisers, families make memories, and the people behind the counter genuinely care about the community outside our doors.

More than 15 years later, that belief remains an important part of who we are.

As Flying Dolly’s has grown into communities throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, we've worked hard to hold onto the mentality of a family-owned neighborhood business.

Because to us, being part of a community means more than putting a Flying Dolly's sign on a building.

It means showing up.

A Family-Owned Business With Community at Its Heart

Flying Dolly's began as a family-owned business, and we've never wanted to lose that feeling as we've grown.

We believe local businesses have a special relationship with the communities they serve.

Our customers aren't numbers on a sales report.

They're our neighbors.

They're the parents bringing their children in after school. They're teachers, coaches, first responders, healthcare workers and local business owners. They're grandparents treating their grandchildren to ice cream. They're teenagers coming in after a football game. They're families celebrating birthdays and milestones.

And many of them come through our doors often enough that our employees begin to know their names—and sometimes their orders.

That's the kind of business we want Flying Dolly's to be.

Growth is important to us, but so is remembering why the stores exist in the first place: to serve people.

Supporting Local Schools Is One of Our Biggest Priorities

Few organizations have a greater impact on a community than its schools.

That's why supporting local schools, teachers, students and athletic programs has become an important part of Flying Dolly's community involvement.

Our stores work with local schools and organizations on Give Back Days and Spirit Nights, where families and supporters are invited to visit Flying Dolly's and a portion of qualifying sales is donated back to the participating organization.

It's a pretty simple idea.

A family was probably going to enjoy ice cream or snoballs at some point anyway.

Why not make that dessert mean something more?

When a school partners with Flying Dolly's for a Give Back event, every snoball, scoop of ice cream, cookie or other qualifying purchase can help support something happening right down the road.

And we love seeing what happens when the community gets behind it.

When the Community Shows Up, Something Special Happens

One of the best examples has been our work with local student organizations and athletic teams.

At our Flying Dolly's Saraland location, we've partnered with the Saraland High School Cross Country Team for a multi-day Give Back event designed to support the student-athletes and their program.

But what we enjoy most isn't simply handing over a donation.

It's seeing the team and coaches at the store.

It's seeing parents come through the doors.

It's watching customers intentionally visit because they know part of their purchase is helping local students.

It's seeing people wearing school colors and supporting kids who have put countless hours into practices, competitions and representing their school.

Those are the moments that remind us why these partnerships matter.

A dessert shop can become a gathering place.

And that's exactly what we want Flying Dolly's to be.

Celebrating Students Who Work Hard

Not every accomplishment happens on a field or court.

Some of the most important ones happen quietly in a classroom.

Flying Dolly's believes academic achievement deserves to be celebrated too.

That's why we've developed programs recognizing students who earn A/B Honor Roll and other academic achievements.

A free small snoball or scoop of ice cream may seem like a small reward.

To a child, though, recognition matters.

There's something special about watching a student walk into Flying Dolly's proudly holding a report card or certificate while a parent or grandparent tells us how hard that child worked.

We want kids to know that effort matters.

We want them to be proud of what they've accomplished.

And if we can be the place where a family celebrates that achievement over a snoball or scoop of ice cream, we're pretty happy about that.

Teachers Deserve Some Sweetness, Too

Behind every successful student are teachers and school employees who give an incredible amount of themselves.

Teachers arrive early, stay late, buy classroom supplies, attend extracurricular activities, communicate with parents and spend countless hours helping children learn and grow.

That's why teacher appreciation is another area we believe deserves attention.

Whether it's bringing treats to a school, recognizing educators during Teacher Appreciation Week, supporting school events or simply finding ways to say thank you, we want our local Flying Dolly's stores to develop genuine relationships with the teachers serving their communities.

Because strong schools help create strong communities.

And strong communities are good for everyone.

Supporting Children Beyond the Classroom

Our commitment to children doesn't end when the school bell rings.

Flying Dolly's also looks for opportunities to support organizations doing meaningful work for children and families throughout our communities.

That includes involvement with organizations such as the Children's Advocacy Center and other groups dedicated to helping children who may be facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

These partnerships have a different purpose from a typical promotional event.

They're not about selling more ice cream.

Sometimes a local business simply has an opportunity to contribute something—dessert, volunteers, resources, awareness or financial support—to people doing important work.

When that opportunity comes along, we want Flying Dolly's to be willing to help.

Because community involvement shouldn't only happen when there's something in it for the business.

Our Four-Legged Neighbors Matter Too

There's another member of many Flying Dolly's families who shouldn't be forgotten.

The dog waiting patiently for everyone to come home.

Pets are an enormous part of our customers' families, which is particularly appropriate for a company named Flying Dolly's.

Our name itself comes from Dolly, the founders' dog.

So supporting local animal organizations and pet adoption events is a natural extension of who we are.

We encourage our stores to work with local shelters, rescues and adoption organizations to help animals find permanent homes.

If bringing families together for ice cream and snoballs can also introduce someone to the dog or cat that eventually becomes part of their family, that's a pretty great day at Flying Dolly's.

Our Employees Are Part of the Community Story

Community starts inside our own stores.

Flying Dolly's employs students, young adults, parents, college students and people from the neighborhoods surrounding each location.

For some, Flying Dolly's may be their first job.

For others, it becomes a place where they discover they're good at leading people, serving customers or managing a business.

That's why we believe it's important to recognize our employees—not simply when they hit a sales goal, but when they demonstrate qualities like leadership, dependability, kindness, initiative and teamwork.

Our Employee of the Month and Employee Spotlight programs allow us to introduce customers to the people behind Flying Dolly's.

These employees aren't just the people making your snoball.

They're your neighbors.

They attend local schools and colleges. Their families live in the community. They shop at the same stores, attend the same churches, play on local teams and participate in many of the same organizations as our customers.

When they grow, we grow.

Why Local Partnerships Matter to Flying Dolly’s

We don't believe every community partnership has to be huge.

Sometimes the most meaningful relationships begin with something small.

A box of cookies delivered to teachers.

A fundraiser for a school athletic team.

Ice cream for an appreciation event.

A free snoball for a student with a great report card.

Helping a rescue organization introduce adoptable pets to local families.

Supporting an organization serving children.

Recognizing an employee who quietly goes above and beyond.

None of these things individually changes the world.

But do them consistently, year after year, and they begin to define what kind of business you are.

That's the kind of reputation we want Flying Dolly's to earn.

Every Flying Dolly’s Community Is Different

One of the things we've learned as Flying Dolly's has expanded across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama is that every community has its own personality.

What matters in Mandeville may be different from what matters in Saraland.

A school in Mobile may have different needs than an organization in Kenner.

Families in Abita Springs may gather around different traditions than families in Mississippi.

And that's okay.

We don't want every Flying Dolly's location to feel disconnected from the place it calls home.

We want our stores and franchisees to learn their communities.

Meet the principals.

Know the coaches.

Talk to teachers.

Support local organizations.

Celebrate students.

Get involved with community events.

Learn customers' names.

And when someone walks through the door regularly enough, hopefully learn their favorite order too.

That's how a business becomes part of a community rather than simply operating in one.

Why We Believe Dessert Brings People Together

There's something wonderfully simple about ice cream and snoballs.

People are usually happy when they're eating them.

Families sit together.

Kids compare flavors.

Friends catch up.

Teams celebrate.

Parents take pictures.

Someone inevitably steals a bite from someone else's cup.

And for a little while, people slow down.

That's something we don't take for granted.

Flying Dolly's gets to serve products associated with celebrations, childhood, summer afternoons, family traditions and happy memories.

That's a privilege.

And it gives us an opportunity to use our stores as places that bring people together.

More Than Ice Cream. More Than Snoballs.

Flying Dolly's will always care deeply about making great desserts.

We want the ice in our snoballs to be powder-fine.

We want our ice cream to be delicious.

We want our cookies fresh.

We want every stuffed snoball to look like something you'd want to take a picture of before taking the first bite.

Quality matters.

But at the end of the day, the people holding those desserts matter even more.

That's why community will continue to be part of the Flying Dolly's story as we grow.

We'll keep supporting schools.

We'll keep recognizing students.

We'll keep thanking teachers.

We'll keep looking for opportunities to support children and families.

We'll keep helping local organizations.

We'll keep celebrating our employees.

And hopefully we'll keep giving families a place where they can make memories together.

Because Flying Dolly's isn't just about what's inside the cup.

It's about the people gathered around it.