[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4504-S4505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING ABI'S ARTISAN ICE CREAM

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, America's entrepreneurs are known to 
strive to go above and beyond by producing uniquely high-quality goods 
to better serve their local communities. Our Nation's small businesses 
are often led by people who are not afraid to innovate and bring new 
ideas to the marketplace. Many small businesses in my home State of 
Idaho harness this creative spirit and are well known for their locally 
sourced, all-natural products. Today, it is my distinct pleasure to 
recognize a small business from Couer d'Alene, ID, that displays such 
forward thinking in the food service industry. As chairman of the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am proud to 
recognize Abi's Artisan Ice Cream as the Small Business of the Month 
for June 2018. This family-owned and operated business is dedicated to 
providing fresh, wholesome, and natural products to their customers.
  Previously a healthcare consultant, Maren Scoggins founded Abi's as a 
way

[[Page S4505]]

to bring together her love of cooking and her desire to bring happiness 
to the lives of others. She named her ice cream shop after her daughter 
Abigail. Better known as Abi, she can often be found in the shop's 
kitchen sampling her mother's latest flavors. Abi, who has a peanut 
allergy, inspired her mother to create a selection of flavors free of 
nuts and legumes, to allow as many people as possible to enjoy her 
creations.
  In addition to being legume and nut-free, Maren wanted to provide ice 
cream that customers loved without artificial flavors or preservatives. 
Abi's is technically a specialty kitchen, as everything is made by hand 
and on-site. The kitchen is open and customers are invited to observe 
the process of how the ice cream is made. In pursuit of her goal for 
all-natural, great-tasting ice cream, Maren works hard to ensure that 
her creations can be enjoyed by all. By exclusively using natural and 
in-season ingredients, customers are able to enjoy healthy and seasonal 
ice cream. Maren is always experimenting with new and unique flavors 
for the community to enjoy. While they have a selection of staple 
flavors, Abi's also creates rotating seasonal flavors to ensure that 
their customers always have the opportunity to try something new and 
innovative. Whether it is their ``fan favorite'' malted vanilla with 
coffee and chocolate chips or just a simple ice cream sandwich, her 
customers always remain confident in Maren's all-natural recipe. In 
each one of her creations, Maren prides herself on using as few 
ingredients as possible and believes that the simplest recipes can be 
the best tasting. As a result of their hard work and dedication, Abi's 
Artisan Ice Cream was named a top 10 ice cream shop in Idaho by 
OnlyInYourState.
  Maren's ice cream shop is also heavily involved in the Coeur d'Alene 
community. Aside from being locally owned and operated, the ice cream 
shop works closely with the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association to 
organize and contribute to the annual Couer d'Alene street fair. In 
addition, Maren's small business supports other local businesses in the 
area by making a concerted effort to procure their ingredients from 
local sources. Their ice cream can also be found around Coeur d'Alene 
in several coffee shops and art galleries. Art from these galleries is 
displayed on the walls of Abi's, and coffee from local coffee shops are 
used in Abi's creations. This is a great example of a small business 
having an integral role in the community and supporting other groups 
and enterprises to create the best experience possible for their local 
customers.
  The State of Idaho is proud to be a home for creative small 
businesses like Abi's Artisan Ice Cream. Through their commitment to 
providing hand-crafted, flavorful ice cream, customers are able to 
enjoy an excellent product, produced in their own community. Earlier 
this year, Abi's celebrated its 2-year anniversary.
  I would like to congratulate them on their achievement and extend my 
sincerest congratulations to Maren, Abigail, and all of the employees 
at Abi's Artisan Ice Cream. I wish you nothing but the best and I look 
forward to watching your continued growth and success.

                          ____________________