DES MOINES, Iowa- A local ice cream maker is in the middle of an all-or-nothing campaign to help fundraise for an ice-cream shop in the Highland Park neighborhood of Des Moines.

Beth Mensing has been making ice cream with her family throughout her life. Growing up in Des Moines, Mensing would make ice cream with her grandmother, Norma, every Sunday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. After her grandmother passed away, she made the treat with her grandfather as a way to spend more time with him.

In 2014, Mensing created her own ice cream small business called Pints By Beth. At the time she was working at a local restaurant which was hosting a beer dinner in collaboration with a local brewery. As a special treat, Mensing decided to serve beer ice cream. She said she reduced the beer and then cooked peaches into it to create the ice cream.

That’s where her ice cream business began. She named her business “Pints by Beth” because “pints” works well for both beer and ice cream.

Mensing said the restaurant has since closed, but she has always dreamed of opening her own ice cream shop.

In February 2022, she found an empty space in the Highland Park neighborhood on the corner of Euclid Avenue and 6th Avenue. She says she’s been trying to turn that vacant location into an ice cream shop since then.

Unfortunately, Mensing says she is struggling to get a loan that would help make her dream a reality. As a result, she started a capital campaign on Kickstarter, a website where people can fundraise. However, the fundraiser must reach its monetary goal in 60 days, or everyone who pledged a donation will be reimbursed.

Mensing’s goal is to raise $35,000 to help open up her ice cream shop, which she plans to call Scoops by Beth. So far, her campaign has raised close to $22,000, but the campaign will officially close at 10 a.m. on January 29th.

Many in the Highland Park neighborhood have supported Mensing’s campaign by donating to the cause or sharing the fundraiser on their social media. Mensing says the community is like a family to her.

“It’s so thrilling to be a part of that it makes me feel like it would be crazy for me to give this up. So, I’m just being so persistent and making it something that I am now like dreaming [of]. I cannot wait until the space is open,” she said.

Mensing said the fundraiser will be a huge help, but even if she is not successful she will eventually have her ice cream shop in Highland Park.

Above is a rendering for what Mensing’s vision is for the shop. She said the space will commemorate the success of the Highland Park neighborhood from the 60s and 70s.

Outside of this fundraiser, Mensing has not only invested her own money into this project but has also used other sources for funding, including different grants from the City of Des Moines and other awards.

The project has several different needs that the campaign and grants will help finance, including:

• electrical panel upgrade
• HVAC rerouting
• plumbing rework
• grease interceptor installation
• buildout of ADA compliant bathroom
• outfitting of kitchen
• dining area build-ins
• service counter and scooping station
• outdoor seating area

With the help of this campaign, Mensing says her goal is to open the shop by this summer.

Those who donate may even be eligible for a reward based on the amount they pledge. They can win anywhere from a t-shirt to even creating and naming their own ice cream flavor.

Click here for a link to the fundraiser.