One local ice cream shop recently gained national attention. Jake’s Ice Cream in Falls Church was featured on the September 23 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show in a segment called the “Drew-Gooders” The segments celebrate “inspiring people doing good in the world.”
Robin Rinearson opened Jake’s Ice Cream on Columbia Pike in 2021 after her “differently-abled” nephew Jake was laid off from his job. The store employs almost exclusively adults with physical and developmental disabilities to serve their 24 rotating ice cream flavors.
For the show, Jake’s Ice Cream designed a new flavor — Cookies and Dreams — that features a vanilla base with their David’s Premium triple chocolate chunk cookies and chocolate sprinkles. Rinearson spoke with Northern Virginia Magazine about the experience.
How did the opportunity to be on The Drew Barrymore Show present itself?
The Drew Barrymore Show looks for people or businesses in the community (not just DC area) who do good things to improve others around them or in the world. I got an email from Corey Hewitt from Paramount that they were looking at several businesses and people around the U.S., and they wanted a video conference with me first. We completed that and then I received an email that our shop had been chosen.
What was the experience like?
They sent a camera crew out to the shop a few weeks ago. They interviewed several of our staff and came in and interviewed me, and we got the surprise check for $5000.
How did Drew and her co-stars like the ice cream?
From watching the tape, it appeared that Drew, Valerie Bertinelli, and Ross Matthews enjoyed it. But they were juggling kittens at the same time, so it was hard to tell. They said it was delicious.
Are you serving any seasonal flavors right now?
Right now we have the Cookies and Dreams, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Maple with Cloves and Marmalade, and Basil Cream. We’ll have several flavors over the holidays, including ginger, gingerbread, pumpkin pie, Frankenstein, and bride of Frankenstein, vampire (red velvet ice cream with white chocolate chips), etc.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy Corey Hewitt/CBS Media Ventures/Paramount
