One half of a paired ice cream parlor and coffee shop in the Reston-Herndon Business Park has arrived.
Moo Thru opened an anticipated storefront for its Herndon franchise at 317 Spring Street last Friday, June 7, roughly a year after the Virginia-based ice cream maker rolled into town with a food truck.
The launch came later than expected, slowed by the multi-layered permitting processes required by the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County, but the community response so far has been gratifying, according to franchise owners Frank and Caitlin Kenney, who report “great turnout” for the store’s opening weekend.
“We were really appreciative of everyone getting out to support us on our first weekend, and it’s been awesome for our first week,” Frank told FFXnow. “We’re trying to just make adjustments as needed, now that we have the space and people coming in and understanding the flow of everything and training all the new staff, because we’ve got lots of new staff coming on board.”
Open from noon until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends, Moo Thru Herndon is now serving the company’s full roster of ice cream flavors, from classics like vanilla and strawberry to more unique options like the chocolate chip-like Holstein and butter pecan. The shop has also added waffle bowls, and the waffle cones are freshly made, like at other locations.
In addition, the space offered by a brick-and-mortar store allows for faster, more streamlined service compared to the truck.
“Even though the lines are even longer than they were at the truck, the service is much faster, because we actually have space to move,” Caitlin said.
The truck will remain available for off-site and special events, according to The Burn, which first reported the store’s opening.
Even as they settle into Moo Thru’s new space, the Kenneys are gearing up to launch their own coffee shop next door at 315 Spring Street. Old Town Coffee will have a separate entrance and prep area, but a shared internal doorway will connect the seating areas.
An opening date isn’t officially finalized yet, but they’re aiming for the weekend of June 21-23, with a possible soft opening next Thursday, June 20, Frank says.
In addition to coffee, which will utilize beans from a Maryland roaster favored by the couple, Old Town Coffee will have plant-based energy drinks, pastries and some pre-made, grab-and-go food. Milk and regular and raspberry lemonade can also be purchased from either the coffee shop or Moo Thru.
Consistency in the drinks is a priority, Caitlin says, noting that Frank developed many of the recipes.
“The coffee machines that we purchased and the way Frank has done everything, every drink is going to be the same,” she said. “You’ll never experience inconsistency. You’ll never get a bitter coffee from us, because Frank has really honed in on the grinding and the whole process is very streamlined.”
As long-time residents of Herndon, the Kenneys say they were eager to share their “two favorite things” — Moo Thru’s ice cream and the Maryland roaster’s espresso beans — with other locals.
This is the first Northern Virginia location for Moo Thru, which was founded by a fourth-generation dairy farmer, Ken Smith, in June 2010 in Remington. The business can also be found in Lake Anna, Charlottesville, Hillsboro and Winchester.
Once it opens, Old Town Coffee will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., providing an early-bird and more winter-friendly complement to the ice cream shop.
“[We] just look forward to providing everyone with the best experience humanly possible,” Caitlin said.
“Yep, and all the best products that we can find,” Frank added.
