Author Spotlight
"Julia Poe"
Molly Howland With the basketball season just reaching an end, the East girls’ basketball team celebrates the season with a traditional banquet, video montage and, of course, custard. John Sheridan hands plastic cups that read “Sheridan’s Means No Compromise” to the players, letting them dish up their own custard, cookie dough, Oreos and hot fudge. The custard proves to be nearly impossible to resist for many of the players, a few of whom chose to break Lent rather than miss out on a chance at Sheridan’s custard.
Junior Anna Sheridan enjoys the treat just as much as her teammates, who thank her and dig into layers of chocolate and toppings. Her dad has told her to sit down and enjoy herself, but Anna still occasionally glances over to see if he needs any help with their custard. It’s a motion that’s become a habit in the years that Anna has worked with her family’s business.
It’s been five years since John opened his own branch of Sheridan’s Frozen Custard in Crown Center. Jim Sheridan, John’s brother and Anna’s uncle, opened the first store in 1999. Since then, it has expanded into a 20 store franchise with locations across the country, from Washington to Texas to Georgia, selling coffee, custard, and pies.
The original location remains at 75th and Metcalf, and John’s store is one of five in the Kansas City metro area. Since the opening of the Crown Center store, Anna has been closely tied with the company, working at the store and taking on a managing position in the summer.
“I got involved right when the store opened,” Anna said. “I was big enough to see over the counter, so I could work.”
Sometimes Anna finds that helping out the family business makes it hard to juggle sports and school. Some nights, working at Sheridan’s will take precedence over going to a movie or a game with friends. There have even been times when working at the store keeps the Sheridans from being able to relax together like a typical family. But Anna doesn’t care. She can’t envision her life without the wisdom, closeness to her family and new friends she has gained through working at Sheridan’s.
“I love it,” Anna said. “I can’t say it enough, I love it so much.”
All of Anna’s immediate family contributes to the business. Anna often works at the store alongside her mom, dad and older sister Caroline, who is a sophomore in college. The only member not working is her 12-year-old sister, Rebecca, who the family doesn’t believe is old enough to work yet.
“Every person in our family has played a role,” John said. “It’s definitely a family business. I’ve gotten to get them involved and have them be a part of it, which is really good.”
John and Anna both say that these experiences of working side-by-side have brought the family closer. Working at Sheridan’s gives the family chances to spend time together that other families might miss out on. Being coworkers and family members can create tension when something goes wrong, but Anna says that it has also given her the chance to see her family in a different way.
“My mom might get really stressed out in certain situations and my dad will be completely calm, and then we’ll turn around and my dad will be stressed and my mom will be fine,” Anna said. “You get to see different sides and parts of people’s personalities, and it’s great.”
Anna herself has a crucial role at Sheridan’s – she heads the summer catering business on her own. Summers at Crown Center are filled with Friday night movies and concerts, and each of these occasions are catered by Sheridan’s. Anna can be found outside of Crown Center most Fridays in the summer, setting up and managing the three Sheridan’s tents that provide hot dogs, popcorn and lemonade along with custard.
Her parents will work the store inside Crown Center, entrusting Anna to staff, set up and manage the catering business at all Crown Center events, including the hectic KC Irish Fest. Anna has become accustomed to being on her feet, giving orders and staying organized as a manager.
“The long shifts at the festivals can be hard, especially when you’re on your feet for so long, but it’s worth it and the people are really fun,” Anna said. “I’ve been doing those day long deals for three years, so I know what I’m doing and I’m used to it.”
Anna will often bring along friends from East to help her out and get a taste of what it’s like to work the business. Junior Bucky Kessinger helped the Sheridans out at last year’s Irish Fest.
“We had a little stand up and it wasn’t all the treats, just vanilla ice cream and toppings,” Kessinger said. “We scooped and served it and let people choose their toppings. It was busy, but it was pretty laid back and it was really fun.”
Anna’s involvement in the summer keeps the business running, but it becomes more of struggle once the school year starts for the junior to find hours to work. Anna plays golf, basketball and soccer for East, and finding time between practices and studying to help out the store can be difficult for her.
Week-long periods can pass where she won’t help at the store, especially during the thick of a sports season or finals week. However, when an employee can’t come or the store is especially busy, Anna is often called on to be ready to work. Anna’s parents are understanding of how busy she is and have worked with her to strike a healthy balance of priorities.
“School always comes first, you know, over sports and business, but business and the store definitely comes over social life,” Anna said. “My dad understands if I have a soccer game or a real commitment, but if he needs me to work on a Friday night it doesn’t really matter if I have plans.”
Although Anna sometimes has to miss out on hanging out with East friends, she has befriended many of her coworkers at Sheridan’s. Those new friends have helped Anna to enjoy her time at the family business even more.
“I love the employees,” Anna said. “They’re different from the people I’d be meeting here [at East]. They’re in dance groups and rap singing groups and bands and they’re just awesome. I love spending time with them, they’re all my really good friends and make it so much fun.”
Anna has also learned how to work as a manager and an employee. She says that her ability to react quickly to problems has been greatly improved by working for her family’s business, a skill that she believes will help her in the future. Since she is mainly a manager in the summer, Anna is often on her own to keep an accident from turning into a disaster.
“I think she’s seen how a business works and [how to] deal with different problems [that] come up,” John said. “And it will be different, you’re not always having the same thing come up again and again, you always have to be ready for something new to happen. It’s being able to adapt and respond.”
As a junior, Anna is beginning to look forward to college and beyond. Her love of sports and interests in different degrees, such as physical therapy, leave her uncertain of what she wants to pursue. The one thing she is certain of is that Sheridan’s will be a part of her future, and her parents have been happy to leave that option open to her.
“Whenever you have a family business, there’s always that option,” John said. “And if that’s really her desire, then the store will always be here, it’s something she can always be involved in.”
Anna’s parents have tried not to pressure any of their daughters to continue on with the business. However, as Anna focuses on college and her future, she says that she cannot imagine not helping with Sheridan’s throughout the rest of her life.
“I don’t know what position I want, whether it’s owning the store or catering but I definitely couldn’t see my life without being involved in Sheridan’s,” Anna said. “I’ve known that for quite some time, and it would be weird if I wasn’t able to help with it.”
Straw-Ana
Strawberry – Bananas – Vanilla Custard
“This one was named after me because banana rhymes with Anna. But I’ve actually never gotten it before, because I don’t even like bananas.”
Caroline’s Caramel Pretzel Crunch
Pump of Caramel – Pretzels – Vanilla Custard
“Caroline really likes this treat. This is the kind of treat that if you get it once, you have to get it again.”
Courtney’s Dirt and Worms
Oreos – Chocolate – Sprinkles – Gummy Worms – Vanilla Custard
“This one was named after my cousin Courtney. Her dad is the owner and he knew it would be one of the top sellers.”
Leave a Reply