Talking to John Krakauer, you might think the small business owner just opened his Josh and John’s ice cream shop recently — or maybe that he had reached the five-year mark, still excited about the brand he launched with the confidence backed by proof that he had a successful venture on his hand. But Krakauer is nearly 40 years in, and his enthusiasm is still palpable. The current source of his excitement is Josh and John’s new drive-thru location, opening this week on April 17, but it’s a representation of much more as the hometown gourmet ice cream shop closes in on its four-decade anniversary this summer.
“It’s given me a new excitement and new energy,” Krakauer says. “We continually try to improve what we do. The drive-thru is a product of that philosophy, because I think we are giving the people of Colorado Springs what they are asking for: the convenience, the same high quality, no parking issues, no seating issues (because you have your own car). It’s an opportunity to do something differently.”
Josh and John’s Drive-Thru
Krakauer says he had been looking a long time for the right location to open a drive-thru. He found it at 870 Garden of the Gods Road in the former Dutch Bros. (Don’t worry, coffee lovers; Dutch Bros moved next door into the larger former Sonic.) Now the kiosk has a signature purple roof as it readies for opening as Josh and John’s seventh scoop shop, its fifth in Colorado Springs.
The new outpost is small, but creating a drive-thru ice cream shop presented new logistical challenges. And that’s where Krakauer lights up.
“There’s a reason why, as far as I can tell, we’re the only gourmet ice cream shop that has a [standalone] drive-thru,” Krakauer says. “All cars have cup holders, no cars have cone holders.”
To solve that problem, Krakauer 3D printed special stands to hold ice cream cones. Servers will use them to hand the cones through the window without having to touch them. And if someone wants to place their cone in their car’s cup holder, they can take their cone in a cup with one of the new inserts to keep it upright.
Another challenge was finding a drive-thru ordering system to handle the exponential variations of multiple flavors, toppings, sizes, allergy alerts and more. The solution? Krakauer designed his own custom app. He says he’s not naive enough to think they have figured out everything by Day One, but he’s willing to make adjustments as needed.
It’s the desire to innovate that has helped to fuel Josh and John’s success for 40 years, and it’s why Krakauer is so energized as he approaches that milestone.
“When you start a small business, you are the custodial staff; you’re the front of house staff, the back of house staff; you’re the bookkeeper; you’re the accountant. It goes on and on and on. You do everything,” he says. “When you get to a size that you have to hire people, you start to realize that a lot of people are a lot better at things than you. Now I have people who work for me that are a lot better at a lot of things, and it’s allowed me to focus on what I do best, which is the creativity part. That’s where my energy is spent, and that is empowering. The thing that makes Josh and John special, I think, is the creativity that we bring to the table.”
That creativity will be on full display at the new drive-thru, not only in its logistics but also in its menu. “Even though it’s only 200 square feet versus a store, which is 1,500 square feet, we’ve expanded our menu,” Krakauer says.
Anything you can get a one of Josh and John’s other scoop shops, you can get at the drive-thru, including pints, cakes and pies. Plus, the new venue has an expanded line of milkshakes, offering a new smaller size for $6.50 and a kids size for $5. There are new flavors as well that follow a weather theme with names like the Bomb Cyclone and Snowdrift. And you can get your ice cream later, with the shop staying open everyday until 11 p.m.
40 Years of Not Sitting Still
As Krakauer looks toward this summer’s 40th anniversary, he lists several things he’s most proud of. First is the number of young people he’s been able to employ — he estimates about 10,000 through the decades. He says it was a first job for many who have gone on successful careers and lives. Many now return as customers, bringing families and kids of their own. It’s especially fulfilling, he says, since he and most of the members of his executive team are former teachers.
Of course, the ice cream has always been a source of pride, but not one he has been content to keep unchanged. “The ice cream is better today than it was 40 years ago,” Krakauer says. “We’ve done things to the formulation of our mix so that it’s clean.”
They have also standardized production at the company’s Churn Barn, allowing a full-time team of professionals to make it. The result is as good, if not better, than any gourmet ice cream in the country. (And, yes, I have done extensive research.) That, in turn, allows the focus in stores to be on customer service.
It’s all part of Krakauer continual pursuit of improvement. “One of my least favorite expressions is, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’” he says “Our philosophy has always been, ‘If it’s not broken, you’re just not looking hard enough.’ What we do is continually try to improve what it is that we do.”
Which is exactly why you’ll find a new Josh and John’s drive-thru opening this week. And if it goes well? Don’t be surprised to see more.
Josh and John’s drive-thru location opens to the public on Friday, April 17 at 11 a.m. Look for the VW Scoop Bus out front as the new sign has been delayed.
Find more details at joshandjohns.com.
Josh and John’s was the winner of our People’s Choice award for best ice cream parlor last year. And you can read about more of our favorite ice creams shops here.
