Entrepreneur ventures into cold with ice cream, frozen yogurt in Layton
By Jasen Asay
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
Fri, 10/07/2011 – 11:00pm
LAYTON — Is stepping away from a secure job in a shaky economy to start an ice cream store before winter in Utah a good idea?
That is just one of the many nerve-racking questions Jamie Dicks and her husband, Ryan, are pondering as they prepare for the 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday grand opening of a Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt store at 1978 N. 1200 West.
Jamie Dicks left her job at Alliant Techsystems to become an entrepreneur.
“I gave up a great job, and it was a very difficult decision,” she said.
“ATK had been so good to me and the people there are like family, but to do this just made sense, and we hope it will be a great step for our family.”
Jamie stepped away from her job in marketing communications at ATK on Monday after five years with the company and will now run the new store.
Meanwhile, Ryan will keep his job at the Flying J refinery in North Salt Lake.
“We still need some source of steady income,” Jamie said.
Ben Hart, Layton’s economic development specialist, said it is encouraging to see people with enough faith to open a small business during this slow economic time.
“We need these type of people if the economy is going to recover,” he said.
“Small-business owners will be the backbone of the recovering economy. I hope people get out to support these small businesses to help them and help the economy get back on track.”
Jamie said she and her husband discussed the many pros and cons when deciding whether they should start their Sub Zero franchise.
The biggest sticking point was what such a move would do to their Kaysville family.
The couple wants the business to succeed while still allowing Jamie to spend more time with their daughters, Shaylee, 4, and Addyson, 1.
While preparing to open the store, the Dicks noticed that just starting the business has brought the family closer.
Ryan said Jamie’s parents, Jeff and Judy Smith, have been a huge help in getting the business going.
“This experience has been an invaluable lesson in the strength of pulling together as a family,” he said. “This has been a great experience for our whole family, and it has required all of us to pull it off.”
Family is so important to the Dicks that guests may notice a few of the toppings have special names. Shaylee Sprinkles and Addy Animal Cookies, named after the Dicks’ daughters, are among the 50 or so toppings that can be mixed into the ice cream creations.
“Addyson gets excited over animal cookies, and Shaylee is excited to have her own topping,” Jamie said. “Shaylee thinks this is her ice cream store alone.”
