“I was standing there, waiting for someone to do something, till I realized the person I was waiting for was myself.” 

Markus Zusak

Underdog

For Kas Miller, owner of Fundae’s Ice Cream and Sweets in Whitestown, IN, this quote rings incredibly true. Kas and her family love ice cream. To them, it’s used for everything from a celebration of achievement to a chance to reconnect. Living in a fast-growing community, the Millers waited for an ice cream shop to open in Whitestown.  

“We kept waiting for an ice cream shop to open up, and nothing opened, so finally, we were like, ‘let’s just try it,’ so that’s what we did,” Miller recounts. 

So, in 2017, Kas and her husband Donny began the process of opening an ice cream shop. Having worked in the insurance business for 20 years, one of Kas’ biggest programs was with the National Ice Cream Association, insuring ice cream stores around the country. She reached out to contacts within her clientele and was able to get the resources she needed to get the process started.  

She also reached out to the Boone County Economic Development Corporation, which provided her with a microloan to get her dream financed. In 2018, Kas and Donny opened Fundae’s Ice Cream and Sweets to the waiting public. 

About Fundae’s Ice Cream & Sweets

Located just 15 minutes northwest of Indianapolis, Fundae’s Ice Cream & Sweets is a family-oriented shop with indoor and outdoor seating. A large selection of board games is available to play while digging into your frosty treat.  

Menu items include standard scoops and sundaes, as well as shakes, coffee drinks, and even a “Freak Shake,” loaded with candy and cookie garnishes that has to be seen to be believed. 

“We wanted it to be fun. Families can come and play some games, and just enjoy time with each other.” 

Kas Miller

Owner, Fundae's Ice Cream & Sweets

Fundae’s menu isn’t just limited to human customers; there are even “pup cups” available for your furry friends, which include a scoop of no-sugar-added vanilla, whipped cream, and a dog treat on top! 

Sourcing Premium Ice Cream

When it came to making or sourcing their ice cream, there was only one option for Miller: she would source their ice cream from The Chocolate Shoppe in Madison, WI. “I was familiar with The Chocolate Shoppe brand before opening, just from past experience…you can’t really find ice cream better than that.” 

To give you an idea of the type of ice cream The Chocolate Shoppe producesFundae’s website states, “You want nutrition, eat carrots.” Made from pure Wisconsin cream, ice cream from The Chocolate Shoppe has a high butterfat content, resulting in an extra creamy smoothnessFundae’s carries close to 30 rotating flavors at a time of the 100+ available from The Chocolate Shoppe 

Popular flavors include Zanzibar Chocolate (Three-time winner at the World Dairy Expo, Blue Ribbon winner at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association), the fall-themed Snap-O-Lantern (Kas’ current favorite), and their hilariously-named This $@&! Just Got Serious! (salted caramel ice cream with sea salt fudge and salted cashews). 

National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

Image Source: Fundae’s Ice Cream & Sweets

For every ice cream shop, the winter months tend to be a slow time. To combat that, Fundae’s utilizes various promotions on their social media channels to bring customers in during cold weather when ice cream is one of the last things you want. 

On the first Saturday in February 2019, Fundae’s participated in National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Opening at 8 a.m. that day, they offered unique breakfast-themed menu items such as waffle sundaes and donut paninis. “We had a donut panini maker that keeps the donut hot and the ice cream cold on the insideThat actually was our biggest day, sales-wise, all year.” 

Despite short staff in the winter months, Fundae’s sells a lot of pints for stocking up before bad weather hits. “It’s kind of nice, it gives you a little bit of breathing time.” 

A Labor of Love

Recently, the Millers opened their second Fundae’s location about 30 minutes from their original location in Speedway, IN. While exciting, it’s incredibly time-consuming. “We’re working…17-18 hour days, seven days a week getting everything together.” But in the end, it’s a labor of love. For Kas, seeing families sit together with their phones down, just enjoying each other’s company is one of the most rewarding parts of owning an ice cream shop. 

The other rewarding part is the employees. “We have teenagers, watching their confidence grow as they get more comfortable in the job. It’s like we have thirty new kids ourselves,” Miller said. 

As for advice to would-be ice cream shop owners: 

“Do your research, check your area, check the market, and make sure you want to do it…it’s a lot of work, so be prepared to go with the flow and see where it takes you.” 

Kas Miller

Owner, Fundae's Ice Cream & Sweets

Learn More About Fundae’s Ice Cream and Sweets 

Website: visitfundaes.com 

Facebook: @visitfundaes 

Twitter: @visitFundaes 

Instagram: visitfundaes 

Two Locations: 

Whitestown Location 

7165 Whitestown Parkway 

Whitestown, IN 46077 

Phone: 317-732-5046 

Hours of Operation: 

Sun-Thur: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

Speedway Location 

1515 Main St. 

Speedway, IN 46224 

Phone: 317-941-7185 

Hours of Operation: 

Sun-Thur: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

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