Lyndsey Fennelly has spent most of her adult life in motion.
As a former Iowa State University basketball standout and the wife of Cyclones assistant women’s coach Billy Fennelly, she is used to fast breaks, full schedules and the rhythm of competition.
But nothing in her playbook ever suggested she would one day own an ice cream truck.
Yet there Fennelly was, spending her summer scooping cones from a pastel‑pink Outside Scoop van and watching strangers light up.
“I’ve realized ice cream makes people do two things. It makes them stop and it makes them smile,” Fennelly told the Ames Tribune. “In a world where we’re all so heads down, it just slows people down for a moment.”
Outside Scoop was a business that made ‘zero sense’ – until it did
Lyndsey Fennelly wasn’t exactly on the hunt to distribute Outside Scoop, the popular ice cream business based in Ankeny. The brick-and-mortar shop initially got its start as an ice cream truck, drawing long lines at Des Moines area festivals.
A mentor approached Lyndsey Fennelly midway through 2025 with an opportunity to buy the satellite van in Ames. Two days later, she and her husband were dishing out scoops at their first event.
“It makes absolutely zero sense professionally or personally,” Lyndsey Fennelly said. “I’m not a foodie. I don’t even have a big sweet tooth. But I believe in people, and I believed in the family behind this company.”
The Outside Scoop, known for handmade small‑batch flavors like goat cheese and roasted cherries or white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, quickly became a whirlwind. The Fennellys attended 75 events in their first season, from weddings to employee gatherings to Iowa State football games.
She expects that number to double in 2026.
Lyndsey Fennelly teaches entrepreneurship from the driver’s seat
The mobile ice cream business has become an unexpected classroom for Lyndsey Fennelly’s children, Will, 11, and Cali, 8. They help clean the truck, stock supplies and talk through revenue and expenses.
“My son will ask, ‘How’d the van do today?’” Fennelly said. “You can’t teach fixed costs versus variable costs when they’re sitting on the couch watching TV. But you can when they’re part of it.”
The family even has a miniature version of the truck at home. Cali uses it to serve ice cream to her dolls.
Fennelly is focused on building community, not a personal brand
Lynsey Fennelly has long been a recognizable figure in Ames, whether through her playing career, her former spin studio, her basketball training business or her role as a mental health advocate and speaker. With her Outside Scoop venture, she’s focused the spotlight elsewhere.
“I don’t want this to be about me,” Lyndsey Fennelly said. “I’m just a mom who thinks owning an ice cream van is cool. The joy for me is in creating community and collaborating with other businesses.”
That collaboration includes a growing cooler program, which places Outside Scoop products in local spots such as AJ’s Liquor, Inside Golf at North Grand Mall, Ames Golf and Country Club, Whatcha Smokin’ in Luther, 3T Bats indoor turf facility in Elkhart and Homegrown on Ames’ Main Street. The partnerships give customers access to the ice cream even when the truck isn’t rolling.
“It’s a nice option because we don’t have a brick and mortar,” Fennelly said. “We wanted to have our ice cream be places that people can still access.”
Outside Scoop also sells its ice cream at Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium.
Fennelly’s ice cream truck is also available for private bookings, festivals, corporate gatherings and other events. Her Outside Scoop van is one of more than 10 in Iowa.
Ice cream business is a logistical puzzle with sweet rewards
Running the truck comes with a variety of challenges. Freezers must stay powered, inventory must be precise and events often require hauling three‑gallon tubs in cold weather.
“It’s a logistical puzzle,” Lyndsey Fennelly said. “But after enough reps, you start to get the hang of it.”
Still, the reward keeps her chasing the next event.
“It’s hard not to chase something that makes people feel good,” she said. “That’s what this adventure has been.”
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Lyndsey Fennelly’s ice cream van rolls out a delicious adventure
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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