Howdy Homemade Ice Cream plans a new Richardson shop at 1930 N. Coit Road, Suite 140. A state filing outlines a $200,000 remodel of a 1,436-square-foot restaurant space, with construction scheduled from September 28 through December 20, 2026. Avila Castillo Architecture is the listed design firm.
A company representative confirmed the location to Community Impact for its September 8 report, which listed a November opening target. That differs from the filing’s December construction completion date. An exact opening day remains unconfirmed.
Behind the new scoop counter is a business built around work: making ice cream, serving customers, training colleagues and taking on leadership responsibilities. Creating those opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been central to Howdy from the beginning.
Howdy Homemade puts its team at the center
The company calls its employees “Howdy Heroes.” Its official history describes team members running scoop shops, making the product and training new hires. Those responsibilities put employees at the center of daily operations.
Coleman Jones helped establish that model. A 2022 DFWChild profile identified Jones, who has Down syndrome, as Howdy’s first employee and described his advancement into a vice-president role. His career gives the company’s employment mission a concrete example: a first hire who grew into a leader.
For Richardson, that is the significance beyond another dessert destination. Howdy’s expansion brings its employment model into another community, though a local hiring count has not been announced.
The Texas story behind Howdy Homemade
Founder Tom Landis had already spent years in the restaurant business when he began imagining a different approach to hiring. According to Howdy’s account, inspiration came from football coach Gene Stallings and his son Johnny, who was born with Down syndrome. Landis read Stallings’ book Another Season and envisioned a business that would create more opportunities for adults with disabilities.
In 2015, Landis mortgaged his home and opened the first shop in Dallas. The company credits Margaret Landis as co-founder. Its name draws on the Texas A&M tradition of greeting people with “Howdy.”
An award-winning scoop with Texas flavor
Howdy also has a food story with credentials of its own. Its Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip ice cream earned third place and $10,000 in the 2021 H-E-B Quest for Texas Best competition. H-E-B’s announcement named both Tom Landis and Coleman Jones as the winners.
That award connects the product and the people behind it. The competition evaluated entries on factors including flavor, customer appeal, value and uniqueness. Howdy earned its place with a distinctly Texas dessert.
Community Impact’s Richardson report also highlighted flavors such as cookies and cream, orange dreamsicle and pumpkin spice latte. The final local selection and availability of seasonal flavors remain to be confirmed.
Howdy Homemade offers scoops for celebrations, too
Beyond the scoop counter, the company offers party packs containing 24 pre-portioned scoops with cups, spoons and napkins. The pink-and-teal boxes bring several flavors together for a celebration, and Howdy also advertises catering for larger gatherings. These are existing company offerings; Richardson-specific ordering details have not been announced.
The new Coit Road shop will give Richardson customers another place to gather over ice cream. The larger story will unfold behind that counter, as employees put their skills to work and build experience one customer at a time.