By Moses Leos III
Kyle resident Kathy Moore had enough after working for 25 years as a phlebotomist, or lab technician.
She didn’t like the direction the profession was going in – longer hours and shorter staffing. Learning a new job at her age was akin to going “from the fryer to the frying pan.”
Instead, she chose to operate an ice cream truck. Fueled by her retirement investments and her dreams, Moore kick-started Grammy’s Tasty Treats.
“I did this because I was tired of the rat race,” Moore said. “I wanted to do something different.”
Running an ice cream truck wasn’t the initial idea. Initally, Moore struggled on deciding what to do. That was until she Googled vending and food trucks. The inspiration of running an ice cream truck followed soon thereafter.
“An ice cream truck kind of appeared. It swished past my face quickly,” Moore said. “When I mentioned it to my family, they thought I was kooky. My thought was, ‘so what, I could do this.’”
To fund her venture, Moore had to dip into her 401k-retirement investment account – and that meant incurring a hefty penalty. Federal laws dictate that anyone who withdraws money from their 401k retirement fund before they turn 59 and a half years old must pay a 10 percent withdrawal penalty, along with any income tax that’s applicable.
Janet Ross, financial advisor at Edward Jones in Buda, said drawing from one’s retirement is a risky maneuver, and even more so if the full amount is withdrawn.
“If the business is unsuccessful, they’ve used up their retirement nest egg ahead of time,” Ross said. “What if the business fails? Then you have to start over again. The best way to fund a business is to borrow money.”
Despite the penalties, Moore felt it was a gamble worth taking.
“Even though I had to eat my 401k, I knew I could make up the penalty with peace of mind,” Moore said.
She and her husband searched for a used ice cream truck, which took some time before finding the right vehicle in April 2014.
Creating her business plan was the next step. With the assistance of her son, Moore crafted her plan and attained necessary permitting.
The overall goal was simple – provide a mobile ice cream venture accessible to residents in the Kyle and Buda area.
“I wanted to put out there that I was a real [grandma],” Moore said. “This is a safe, clean truck. I wanted to make sure parents got to know me and were comfortable to approach the van.”
The costs mounted for Moore. Inventory, along with finding equipment to house that inventory, soon added up. The van also had to look presentable.
The added costs meant dipping into her and her husband’s personal accounts to get going.
But once on the road, Moore’s venture took off. It was strengthened with her presence on social media. Moore used her business’ Facebook page to blast where she would be. So far, she’s garnered 397 likes.
Like all business owners, Moore plans to see her venture flourish. The goal is to one day officially retire, while still operating Grammy’s Tasty Treats.
But in the meantime, Moore continues to pass out her treats.
“I never had the guts to put [a business] together. I had to fight the fear and just do it,” she said. “You don’t mind the hard work when you work for yourself … I care about my community. I’m caring about what I’m doing. People are happy to see me here.”
