There’s a new ice cream shop in Denver, “building the community one scoop at a time," its owner says.

That’s the mission of MyKings Ice Cream, located in Denver’s Skyland neighborhood, north of City Park.

“We would love to bring people together and just have a fun environment in this neighborhood. So, I just see a sweet memory created with ice cream,” says LeDay Grant, sole owner and operator of MyKings.

She got the idea while walking down Colorado Boulevard one day and seeing a "For Rent" sign in the window. Her curiosity was piqued and she walked over.

“I put my hands up to the windows and something told me that it was supposed to be an ice cream shop,” says Grant.

From that moment she started putting the pieces together.

Having no prior business experience, she had a lot of work to do, and was also working full-time and part-time jobs. “Finally, I got to the end of getting all my licenses and they told me I was official to open.”

MyKings Ice Cream opened March 1 -- just weeks before the full force of the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, shuttering doors across the country. MyKings stayed afloat.

“I’m a believer, so I knew something good would come out of it,” says Grant.

The shop is back open now, with staff serving up scoops in gloves and masks, and asks customers to wear masks when ordering.

They currently offer 12 flavors, cereal milkshakes, baked goods, and more. 10 of the flavors are constantly rotating. The two permanent flavors -- golden Oreo and Superman -- are a nod to Grant’s childhood, and are best-sellers.

“My son loves ice cream and it’s named after him,” says Grant. Her son MyKing loves coming to the shop and talks about it all the time. “It gives him something to look up to as he grows older.”

Due to Grant’s full-time job the shop is only open limited hours. She hopes to be able to expand them in the future.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit providing news and information across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.