BG Shakery is a local, woman-owned business that specializes in mobile ice cream events. Through their mobile carts, they offer sweet treats for any occasion while also aiming to give back to the community.

Kari McConnell, the BG Shakery owner, said that they have two mobile carts that started in April. She said these carts are on wheels so they can go to  events anywhere.

“We do a lot of fun, amazing events,” McConnell said. “We book a lot of weddings, birthdays. We do private events in people’s homes and graduations, and we can go to schools to do fundraisers.”

She said the carts can display seven ice cream flavors, which can be mixed and matched for many different sweet snacks such as scoops, shakes, boozy shakes and affogatos. For affogatos, which is a shot of espresso with a scoop of ice cream on top, she said they source all of their coffee from Ridley Roasthouse, a local coffee roastery. She also said they make waffle wedges in-house which can be customized into different shapes, such as hearts or initials to fit every event. These wedges can be used as ice cream scoops or to make an ice cream sandwich.

McConnell said all of the ice cream is sourced from Bliss Artisan, a mom-and-pop shop in Indiana. She said they spent over a year perfecting their ice cream recipe, and BG Shakery is the only place that is able to carry it. Through Bliss Artisan, they have over 60 flavors, with some seasonal choices such as lavender honey ice cream for the summer. Before booking with BG Shakery customers get private taste testings from all these flavors to pick the best ones for their event.

“They’re wonderful, hard working people, and we’re very lucky to carry it. It feels like a badge of honor,” McConnell said.

BG Shakery also partners with Awaken Bakery, a local bakery, to offer more sweet treats such as cinnamon rolls and cookie ice cream sandwiches.

“We like to support local, and you can see that when we’re out there using local products,” McConnell said. “It helps us build connections with the community and puts money back into our community.”

McConnell said the cart has offered new experiences for BG Shakery with people no longer having to wait at the store but instead being able to bring the ice cream to them.

BG Shakery is collaborating with a new event space, Be Social, that will be on Fountain Square, where customers can choose to have the mobile cart at their event.

McConnell said the main goal of the mobile cart and event space is to give back to the community.

“I love socializing, being at the events and just doing good for our community,” McConnell said.

She said this is a different and fun experience that not many people have seen before.

“You know, it’s not a food truck; it’s not an ice cream truck that has a little song that plays; it’s a different kind of atmosphere,” McConnell said. “Having a new vibe of venue downtown and access to ice cream and shakes on the go is a great and memorable experience.”

McConnell said anyone interested in using BG Shakery for an event can contact her at [email protected].

“Whether it’s graduation or engagement parties, we love to be a part of people’s big days,” McConnell said. “We love to make connections and help someone find their favorite ice cream flavor, because when we find it, we see it on your face.”