Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Strecker.
Hi Kathleen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Frite & Scoop began in 2014 as the business dream of Kevin and Lisa Malcolm, who opened the shop on Astoria’s Riverwalk selling handcrafted ice cream and European-inspired frites (fancy french fries). The store became an immediate hit with locals and tourists, winning multiple Readers’ Choice awards from the local newspaper for Best Dessert, Best Customer Service, and Best Frozen Treats. One of their first employees was a high school student named Julia Strecker. After nine years, life led the Malcolms in another direction, and they put the shop up for sale. Julia’s parents, Tom and Kathleen Strecker, decided the time was right to make a change in their own careers, and they purchased Frite & Scoop along with all of the ice cream recipes in 2023.
In 2024, Julia rejoined the crew full time with her husband Robby, and the family team has continued to make and serve award-winning ice cream, multiple varieties of tasty frites, and specialty treats like ice cream cakes and pies. In June 2025 they opened a Frite & Scoop food trailer in the Sandbar Food Court in Long Beach, Washington, and this spring they are expanding their production kitchen and adding a party room for special events.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Operating a restaurant in a tourist town is always a roller coaster. In the summer, the line for ice cream runs out the door and down the sidewalk; in the cold and rainy winter months, it’s sometimes a challenge to meet expenses. But we actually enjoy the slower season because that’s when the locals know it’s the best time to come in and chat! We love getting the chance to talk to our customers and be a part of the community.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
A lot of ice cream shops claim their product is “hand-made.” That usually means that they buy a commercially-prepared ice cream base, pour it in their batch freezer, and add flavorings or mix-ins as it churns into the tubs. At Frite & Scoop, we cook every batch of custard from scratch in our kitchen and make the majority of the mix-ins by hand as well. This means a ton of extra work for us, but the result is what our customers regularly call the best ice cream they’ve ever had. Our overrun (meaning the amount of air in our ice cream) is very low compared to commercially-made products, so our ice cream is extremely rich and smooth.
We cook every serving of our frites individually and toss them in our housemade herb-infused oils, serve them with our original recipe dipping sauces, or top them with versions of popular comfort foods like pepperoni pizza, elote, poutine, or gyros.
What really separates Frite & Scoop from other ice cream shops is our rock star staff. Our mission is to make every customer’s day better, and we hire outstanding young people who love being that bright spot in someone’s day. For the past four years in a row, we’ve had an employee chosen to be an Astoria Regatta Princess, representing our community and earning scholarships through a 132-year-old local festival.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For us, success is having a customer leave our shop with a smile on their face. If they have a great experience, tell their friends, post a five-star review, and come back again, we’ve achieved success! Our sales figures have tripled since 2023 and they keep going up, so we feel pretty good about meeting our objectives. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://friteandscoop.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/friteandscoop
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/fritescoop
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/frite-and-scoop-astoria
