the inside scoop on how maylynn’s creamery was founded

A 28-foot fall from a tree — that’s how MayLynn’s Creamery  got its start.                                                                                                                                     

The popular ice cream shop in downtown Lynchburg began 11 years ago when owner Josh Kirk severely hurt his ankle from the fall, giving him time to reassess during the recuperation process.

“I was kinda doing my own thing,” Kirk said about his time before the incident. “I wasn’t really walking with the Lord, and I felt like he was calling me to give my life back to him.”

During his time in the hospital, Kirk was worried about how he would continue to provide for his family. He began brainstorming many different ideas about what he was going to do. The process led him back to an old dream — starting a food truck. 

Kirk began researching to start his business after a friend  encouraged him to open an ice cream truck. This was the start of MayLynn’s Creamery. He realized the journey would be a lengthy process but knew that the Lord was with him each step of the way. 

Eventually, he went to his father-in-law for help with the business’s initial investment. However, Kirk had brought many ideas to him previously, and he had never said yes before.

But this time would be a different story. His father-in-law agreed to give him the money that Kirk would then invest into  MayLynn’s    Creamery. 

“I remember it so vividly,” Kirk said. “The money hit my account on a Wednesday. I found the trailer with the machines on Thursday, and Friday I drove to Louisiana to purchase the equipment. You can’t say that God’s not in that.”

Today, MayLynn’s Creamery has two locations, one in Bedford County Virginia and one in downtown Lynchburg. The Kirk family has also recently started another business called “Gracie-Rae’s Pops” where they serve gourmet popsicles.

Many people have wondered what inspired the name “MayLynn’s Creamery.” MayLynn’s is the name of his eldest daughter’s middle name, and his other business “Gracie-Rae’s Pops” is taken from the names of his two  younger daughters. 

As a business owner and father, Kirk is very busy. However, he manages to prioritize family amid the busy schedule of creating new recipes, checking on the shop and staying up until midnight to make batches of popsicles.

“I think family is so important,” Kirk said. “I never want to lose sight of that in the grand scheme of things. I’ll always make sure that I can go to my kids’ events.”

When asking Kirk about his favorite aspect of being a business owner, he expressed with gratitude just how much the Lynchburg community meant to him. 

“My favorite part is building relationships,” Kirk said. “I feel like sometimes when you go into a business, they don’t always care about whose walking in, they don’t care about the children. It seems like they only care about the one who is paying. But I love all my customers and seeing them happy makes my day.”

The business is looking to host a celebration of its 10-year anniversary, which will be held at its Bedford County location in Boonesboro. 

Ferree is a feature reporter.

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