FARGO — After five years of putting smiles on children’s faces at Kone’s Kreamery, owner Brady Hand hopes to soon have children of his own. But to make that happen, he must sell the bustling ice cream and boba tea shop at 1650 45th St. S.
Hand and his wife have been struggling with infertility for four years. After two unsuccessful attempts at artificial insemination, the couple wants to adopt embryos. Selling the company would help finance the family.
Vena and Kevin Pham opened Kone’s Kreamery in 2018, and Hand bought it from them in 2019. Since then, he said, a loyal customer base has kept the business thriving.
“Business is good,” Hand told The Forum on Sunday.
Michael Vosburg / Forum archive photo
He said he plans to find the right owner to take over the business on a turnkey basis.
“We want to make sure the store continues to grow and expand,” he said. “It’s something I’ve put my heart and soul into, and I want it to continue to thrive. … But you know, my wife and I are trying to start a family. We’ve been going through this process for a couple of years now.”
During their infertility treatment, they learned from their doctor about the possibility of embryo adoption.
“We really took it as a sign from God about where we are going next,” Hand said.
To adopt an embryo, Hands works with an agency that contacts couples who have frozen extra embryos they won’t use. Those couples put the embryos up for adoption, and couples seeking adoption can “match” them, Hand said.
According to American Surrogacy, the procedure can cost between $7,500 and $19,500.
After selling the company, Hand hopes to return to where his career began – in human resources, specializing in payroll.
Until then, he will continue to bring smiles – sometimes literally with the shop’s signature scoops of ice cream with animal faces on them.
Contribution by Brady Hand
“Although saying goodbye to Kones Kreamery is a bittersweet moment, we look forward to this next chapter in our lives and the future of the company under new ownership,” he said.
Anyone interested in purchasing the store can contact [email protected] or 701-367-3263.
Kaity Young is a news editor at the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. She joined the company in 2018 and enjoys learning about her community and region by editing news stories.
