Vicky Tay and Charles Foreman outside the new Everyday Sundae

by Cesse Ip

Get ready Kennedy Street, because premium ice cream is coming to you in a few weeks. Everyday Sundae is opening at 713 Kennedy Street on Sunday, July 4th. This space is right next to ANXO, and is where Cheesemonster vacated in April.

Charles Foreman has lived in the neighborhood since 2001, and has seen the neighborhood change over the 20 years he’s lived around the corner. When he found himself laid off in January from his job in the restaurant industry, he felt like it was the universe telling him to move on and do something that made him happier.

Luckily for all of us, ice cream makes him happy.

This push to do something on his own, plus his passion for wanting to be a strong member of the community, led him to reach out to Uptown Main Street about the vacant space at 713 Kennedy Street, and share his ideas about an ice cream shop. Charles took over the lease on June 1st.

While Charles and his partner Vicky Tay have big dreams for the space and their business, they will have enough equipment and inventory ready to open to the public on July 4th.

Since Charles’s roots are in the restaurant industry, he knows everything he needs to do to achieve his big goals for his business. But at the present, he wants to start small and serve quality ice cream.

He is sourcing his ice cream initially from family-owned since 1894 Hershey Creamery (not associated with Hershey Chocolate) in Pennsylvania, but eventually wants to grow to include some more dairy-free options that he will be able to source more locally. For now, in addition to regular ice cream, they plan to also have sorbet, sherbet and yogurt.

Charles will be making handmade waffle cones in-house for your ice cream eating pleasure. Also, expect toppings like warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream, mini M&M’s and Oreos so you can make your own sundae.

I asked Charles about how he feels about the events that led to Cheesemonster leaving the property. He told me that he wants to project nothing but positive vibes, and the events leading up to their departure are not part of Everyday Sundae’s history. As a member of the community for 20 years, he knows the neighborhood, and its ups and downs. He knows his neighbors and has friends across the neighborhood. He plans to hire from within the community. He said he hopes that he can serve as an example to others in the community, and young people can look up to him and say, “If that guy can do it, I can too.”

The name grew from the idea of people looking forward to the weekends. At Everyday Sundae, it will be a place that people can look forward to, every day (that they’re open). Charles put his heart, soul, and his personal savings into this business and is excited and scared about its future. He hopes that his business will be a mainstay on the Kennedy Street corridor for many years and told me that he hopes in 10 years my kids will call him “Ice Cream Charles.”

He hopes that kids from all over the neighborhood come to visit his ice cream shop. Nearby is Emery Recreation Center and Truesdell Elementary School, as well as the numerous daycares along the Kennedy Street corridor. I floated the idea of sponsoring my kid’s preschool class to take a daytrip down the street for ice cream, and Vicky and Charles were into it.

At the time of their initial opening, they will not have any seating and plan to open as a grab and go business. But as they obtain the proper licensing down the road, they hope to have indoor and outdoor seating. They also plan to rent out their location for private events and parties from October to March.

Everyday Sundae — opens July 4th
713 Kennedy St NW

Tuesday-Thursday 12-9
Friday-Sunday 12-10