The Status Crowe dishes up delicious ice cream and more

Later, she worked at Abbott Laboratories as a pharmaceutical sales representative. In 1999, she decided to leave the corporate world behind and focus on homeschooling her daughter, Kenzie, and later her younger daughter, Laila. During those years, Carol also taught at a local homeschool co-op.

When Laila entered high school, Carol knew she would soon have to decide what would come next. “I did not want to return to the corporate world, and I did not want to continue teaching,” she says.

As the Crowe flies

To determine what direction her career would take, Carol took an honest look at what brought her happiness. As a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher, she learned she enjoys the freedom of setting her own schedule. “Our family has always enjoyed being creative and cooking together,” she says. “When the girls were young, we often made homemade ice cream.”

In 2017, Carol took that next step and, along with her daughters, founded The Status Crowe. At the time, Kenzie was 18 and Laila was 14. Carol saw the business venture as a way to give her girls valuable work experience.

The fledgling years

The first ice cream mixer they bought made small, 2-quart batches. Those batches of dairy and vegan flavors were packaged and sold at a local farmers market. As the Crowes developed a following and the business grew, they formed partnerships with retail locations to sell their ice cream.

About four years ago, The Status Crowe moved into its current storefront location, which has a convenient drive-thru. The attached commercial kitchen gave Carol room to add a 6-quart mixer.

Carol had more time on her hands in the store, especially when her daughters moved on with their own careers. That led to more kitchen creativity, resulting in cookies, brownies, bourbon balls and cheesecakes. Her desire for fresh, convenient lunch items expanded the offerings to include pimento cheese sandwiches, salads and homemade dressings. Last year, she added cold-pressed juices to the menu. Carol also offers meal preps and specialty orders for schools, weddings and events.

Supporting the local flock

Using locally sourced ingredients is a cornerstone of The Status Crowe, which is certified Kentucky Proud. Carol estimates about 80% of her ingredients come from local suppliers. “I don’t think I’m doing anything special,” she says. “I’m just buying the highest-quality ingredients available.” Customers can also be assured that the ice creams do not contain any added colors or flavor boosters.

Her support of local farmers and producers is something that has always been part of the business plan. “My husband, Kevin, owns a small business, and we’ve always tried to help other small businesses,” Carol says. The Status Crowe’s ice cream and other menu items feature ingredients from JD Country Milk, Hogue Farms, Bluegrass Blueberries, Dewitt Farm, Flourishing Herbs, Planted, The Market Farm, Howard’s Harvest Market, Rian’s Fatted Calf, Lovee & Rose Farm and JNE Farms.

Today, she has retail arrangements with The Local Good General Store, Howard’s Harvest Market and Rian’s Fatted Calf Meat Shoppe to make her ice cream and other items available at popular locations.

Crowes of a feather

Holding true to one of her early goals, Carol maintains limited business hours at her storefront. She values her freedom to be there for her family. “I am thankful for the support of my family,” she says. “At every step of the way, Kevin has been my biggest fan.” Helping hands also came from other family members including her aunt, her late mother, her son-in-law and her mother-in-law.

What about her daughters? Well, you may have heard of them. Today Kenzie and Laila tour the country and the world, performing as the band Girl Tones. When the girls were younger, they, along with Carol and Kevin, had a family band called Kenzie Crowe and the Flaming Hots. Carol played bass. So, you can add musician to Carol’s diverse list of accomplishments.

Story by Laura McGill

Photos courtesy of The Status Crowe