There’s another ice cream shop in Downtown Manassas.
Styled after a 1950s-era walk-up, Moo Moo Junction is now open for business on 9119 Church Street.
The story of Moo Moo Junction started when Jim Smith, one of the co-owners, purchased a property on Church Street for his business Acqtel Realty Inc., a commercial real estate company.
The site of the ice cream shop started its life as a garage for the historic 134-year old home.
“This property was the garage to the house, and it was in pretty bad shape. And I needed more parking spots and I almost tore the building done, but I was just standing in there one day, and the people just kept walking by and I kind of just had this idea that I wanted to make it a storefront,” said Smith.
According to Smith, the idea for an ice cream shop on the site was an evolution, and it took a lot of hard work to turn the garage space into a space fit for business.
Moo Moo Junction serves soft serve ice cream, including shakes, sundaes, and cones – all made fresh on-site.
“We make all of our own ice cream…and we make our own whipped cream. Just about all of our products, except for the nuts, cherries, and things like that, we make ourselves,” said Smith.
While they’re currently sticking with ice cream, they’re planning to expand their menu quickly.
“In about a month, maybe a bit longer, we plan to expand into Chicago-style hot dogs, and wraps, and soup and sandwiches for the lunch crowd. That’s one of the things about where we are – we just have that walk-up window. I’ve heard from several people that there’s not really a place in Old Town Manassas where you can just run and grab something and then go back to your office,” Smith said.
Smith said they’re also looking to expand into bagels, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches to catch the breakfast crowd.
Smith has already hired 15 employees, but is interested in hiring veterans and senior citizens from the community.
“I’m a retired vet myself, and there’s a special place in my heart for retired or disabled vets…I’m also interested in hiring some senior citizens that would like a job as well…I’d really like to add a bit more diversity in our workforce,” said Smith.
Currently the shop is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the week, and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends, but that will change as the menu expands, according to Smith.
