In 2021, Randy Gentry and his family opened a new ice cream shop in Schertz with the hopes of providing the community with unique ice cream flavors to enjoy.
The background
Prior to the creation of Randy G’s Homemade Ice Cream, the family was involved with Inflatable Wonderland in Rolling Oaks Mall.
Gentry said with the uncertainty of the impact COVID-19 had on indoor playgrounds and activities that were difficult to implement social distancing, he decided it was time to explore other opportunities, which led to the creation of the ice cream shop.
“I went the homemade route because I wanted to keep the creative process and be able to make different flavors,” Gentry said. “I could have ordered from a larger company, but we really wanted to make something special.”
With a goal in mind, Gentry took off to Florida to learn more about the ice-cream-making craft before returning to Schertz to open the business.
What’s special about it?
Ice cream flavors at Randy G’s rotate each season, bringing new and unique flavors to the community.
“Each season, we try out new flavors to match the time of year,” Gentry said. “In the spring, we do more fruity flavors, and in the summer, we will try some fun flavors. Sometimes they are a one-hit wonder, and sometimes they come back another year. We rotate a lot of the flavors.”
Alongside seasonal flavors, the shop offers a selection of staple flavors that include classics, such as chocolate and vanilla, as well as custom flavors, such as banana pudding and caramel brownie.
Gentry said he makes new flavors based on community feedback, and drawing inspiration from new items while shopping at the grocery store.
“We are making homemade ice cream,” Gentry said. “There is no junk in it like you would find at stores. Grocery stores have to put in stabilizers and chemicals to keep it from shifting and melting, and we don’t have to do that. Pretty much what the flavor says is all that is in the ice cream.”
Over the last two years, the business has expanded from Schertz to Universal City and Bracken. The Universal City location was eventually sold to another ice cream shop owner.
Gentry said his goal with the business is to expand, but not make Randy G’s a franchise that would be difficult to maintain. Instead Gentry wants to become an inspiration for people who want to get into the ice cream business.
“We build the ice cream, and then we allow people to come in and buy it,” Gentry said. “The Pat Booker location started as Randy G’s, and the Bracken location is Randy G’s, but eventually we want to get into the training and consulting business where people do not have to go to Florida to learn how to make this type of ice cream.”
