Today we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Kennedy.
Hi Tricia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My husband, Jon Rottenberg, and I have always dreamed of opening an ice cream shop. We decided to give it a go a few years ago. Swirls of Frederick opened in 2024!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For us, nothing has been smooth about starting a business from scratch. Fortunately we love the business and the Frederick community. Some of the struggles that we faced included just getting our doors open after the build out. That was a process we did not expect to be so complicated. Once we opened, we did not feel ready because our plan for the shop design was not complete. This worked out because as we go we are always improving the store and customers like seeing our updates and improvement roll out over time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Tricia- I teach part-time in Montgomery County and Jon works as an instructional designer part-time. Together we run the shop full time and more!
We are so proud of our shop because we offer unique ice cream sundaes with local flair. Many of our products are locally sourced including Taharka Brothers ice cream, Baltimore, Three Spartans Honey from Walkersville, Coffee from Chesapeake Coffee Roasters.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have been working with a mentor, Karen Kalantzis, from the Women’s Business Development Center,
and also Lee Drosdak from the Small Business Development Center. They are both amazing with ideas for marketing and finding resources such as grants and loans.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.SwirlsFrederick.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swirlsfrederick
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swirlsfrederick
