Amy’s Ice Creams was established in 1984 by Amy Simmons with the first location on 3500 Guadalupe St., but since then they have expanded  16 locations all around Texas in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

Many people come to Amy’s not just for the treats, but for the tricks. Amy’s is known for their ice cream scooping and tossing skills that make getting ice cream even more enjoyable, according to employee Harriett Fraser.

“I’ve had really good memories of how friendly everyone here was and doing the tricks and the crushes were really fun to watch,” Fraser said. “So, when I first was starting to apply for a job, this was the first place I considered.”

Amy’s is also known for their incorporation of toppings into their ice creams. Evie Plante is an avid customer at the ice cream shop.

“The ice cream is good,” Plante said, “and the variety of flavors and toppings is great.”

Amy’s is an important part of Austin and likable for even those who haven’t been here their whole life, according to Carli Cuthbertson. Cuthbertson is not a native Austinite and just recently went to Amy’s Ice Creams for the first time. 

“It was just very, very good ice cream,” Cuthbertson said. “I felt like it was a good amount for the price I paid and I liked how they mixed in like other toppings with the ice cream.”

Simmons said to the Austin Business Journal that she would not like to rapidly expand the business and she likes what she has now. That mindset has been immersed into the ice cream company’s culture.

“It’s kind of trying to stay away from the corporate kind of thing,” Fraser said. “It’s not a business. It’s kind of a community sort of thing. So, you know, trying not to just to make money. ‘Make people’s days’ is kind of our slogan. That’s what we focus on serving people.”