In honor of Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting area women-led businesses and organizations this March.
Nestled in downtown Urbana, you’ll find one of the newest additions to the area’s frozen confection scene: The Main Scoop Urbana. This third iteration of the business — the flagship opened in 2021 in Mahomet, with another in Monticello in mid-2023 — is a welcome addition to the area for students, date-nighters, and families alike.
The Main Scoop co-owner, Jessica Hanson, oversees the ice cream shops with her husband. Jessica is a born-and-raised Central Illinoisan, having graduated from Gibson City High School in 2001. After stints at Parkland and Heartland Community College, Jessica graduated from Lincoln Christian College in 2007. She also received her Master of Arts in Education from Lincoln, going on to work in Marketing and Enrollment Management for a small private university for 15 years. Her career path continued to expand, and she now works in Real Estate full-time, in addition to owning The Main Scoop and several rental properties with her husband.
“I’ve always loved being my own boss if you will,” Hanson said. “I thought I wanted to go into Elementary Education for my undergraduate degree and after three years in that major, decided that was not the direction for me.”
In most things, Hanson is her own boss — but like so many of us, the idea for The Main Scoop began with her daughter.
“Our (then 3-year-old daughter) LOVES ice cream, but we were going out of town to get ice cream,” she said. It was her husband who asked, on one of their many ice cream hunting adventures, “Why don’t we have something like this in Mahomet?”
Six months later, the couple sourced a downtown Mahomet location for this dream ice cream shop and the rest, as they say, was history. The Main Scoop was born.
According to Hanson, The Main Scoop was designed to be reminiscent of an “old-fashioned” ice cream parlor, where people can come and hang out with friends and family and enjoy a delicious, unique sweet treat.
“I like to say, it’s like a coffee shop-meets-ice cream-shop type of vibe.”
That inviting, nostalgic atmosphere is part of what has made The Main Scoop such a hit, not only in Mahomet, but in Monticello and Urbana as well. In fact, it’s such a hit that the couple has their sights set on Rantoul, with that location slated for a spring 2024 opening.
Here in Champaign-Urbana, The Main Scoop is thriving, and Hanson loves being part of the community. She loves the small-town feel with the big-city perks.
“I love that there is so much diversity and options for our kids to see that there is an entire world at their fingertips, without us even having to leave a small circle radius of our home,” she said. “We’re a forward thinking, supportive, always-growing and changing community and I LOVE that!”
Another benefit to being part of the greater C-U community? A supportive, ever-growing circle of small-business owners and female entrepreneurs.
“I have a lot of great mentors and they each have provided such a great foundation for who I am today,” Hanson said of her entrepreneurial support system. “My favorite part is that they all are so different, so I always have a great network of people to reach out to, based on what hat I’m wearing.”
An active member of the Mahomet Chamber of Commerce, Hanson has enjoyed getting to know other community leaders and business-owners — those who are on the journey right beside her, and those who have forged ahead and helped lay out a path for growth and success.
And for those just starting out, Hanson has advice on starting a small business: “It’s amazing, it’s rewarding, it’s fun, but goodness it’s hard. So hard. Don’t give up. Have a network, have a supportive family, and have fun with it. Life is short and I often find myself getting caught up on the hamster wheel, but my kiddos do a great job in reminding me to smile, laugh, and stop and smell the flowers — and eat some ice cream!”
Follow The Main Scoop on social media and check out its website to see all the latest updates.