Daily Inspiration: Meet Holly Hallmark

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Hallmark

Hi Holly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My husband Alex and I met in college and married in 2017. Alex is from West Tennessee and grew up in his Grandmother’s kitchen learning to love cooking- especially good traditional southern food. I grew up all over the world and love experiencing other cultures.
In May of 2020, after working in the ice cream industry for 10 years, we found ourselves with the opportunity to start our own food truck after Alex’s employer decided to sell the business and the truck he was currently working on. It was a HUGE risk. It was the height of the pandemic and we’d just had our first child. But we were determined to take all that we’d learned and try to make something for ourselves. We knew that we wanted to prioritize three things: our flavors, our quality, and making it achievable for all families. We both grew up in low income families, so to better serve our communities, we wanted to keep our prices affordable.
Our flavors are the secret to our success though. Alex is an incredible cook, so he always knows how to achieve the best flavor creations. We’re very much inspired by the flavors of our childhoods. Alex is a good ole southern boy, so we have his classics: Banana Pudding, Bourbon Butter Pecan, Mint Julep Sorbet and Strawberry Cake Batter in memory of his Grandma’s famous cupcakes that she used to make every weekend. I however, have a lot of international flavors that are near and dear to my heart. My Grandmother is from the Philippines, which is where our fan favorite Ube comes from. It’s a bright purple sweet potato that tastes just like a buttery shortbread cookie, and it’s by far our best seller.
We came up with the name of Black Box Ice Cream from two ideas, the first being that we drive a big black box. The second comes from the concept of a Black Box of a plane. The black box of an airliner contains all the information needed for your travel: it records where you’ve come from and where you’re going. We want our flavors to take you to places you’ve never been before and flavors that remind you of home. We want to make it an adventure! Which is why you’ll also find some crazy and unique offers like our Spice Cream flavors, such as Wasabi from Japan, Jeow Bong from Laos, and Masaman Curry from Thailand.
After three years with the truck, we opened our first brick-and-mortar location in Smyrna on August 22nd 2023. We earned enough of a following on the truck that we decided that we needed to be easier to locate. And it has been the greatest decision we’ve ever made. Since then, we have been able to expand to create more flavors and start offering baked goods and more ways of consuming our ice cream in the forms of fresh made milkshakes, waffle cones and affogatos.
But most important has been the connection and community that we’ve been able to build. We’ve hosted poetry readings, cookie decorating classes, local authors and supporting local artists and small businesses. We have become a safe space for many in our community and our Black Box family grows with every new customer we have the privilege of serving. It turns out that good ice cream really can change your life.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest thing has been navigating seasonal changes. Not everyone wants ice cream when it’s cold out. So the first few winters were hard. However we found new ways to keep the catering portion of our business going year round by catering weddings and catering movie sets and concert VIP events.
But it’s not all fun and games. Owning your own business means that everything can feel personal, and getting a break or taking a vacation can seem impossible at times. But thats why it’s important to find your priorities and maintain good professional connections.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our flavors definitely set us apart. We’ve got plenty of unusual flavors and far too many good flavors to have at once. So we tend to rotate our menu quite frequently in the shop. We love to do samples so our customers know that the next time they come in, there will be something new and exciting to try. We just can’t be stopped- we’re constantly coming up with new ideas of flavors and we have no plans to slow down!

What were you like growing up?
Alex is a total extrovert. He grew up playing music and touring with his band when he was in high school. We first met after one of his shows and I was always impressed with his kindness, sense of humor and seriously impressive drum skills. He loves animals, heavy metal music and has the greatest smile and kindest heart. Family is immensely important to him and he’s very close to his parents in West Tennessee.

I am naturally an introvert. So I think we balance each other out really well. My Father and Stepmother were in the military and lived in Japan for most of their careers, so they always impressed upon me the desire to travel. And my Mother raised me in a very creative home. I love to build and paint, which you can tell once you see the DIY we’ve done in our shop. I studied painting and animation in college, and received a masters in contemporary art history while living in London England.

Needless to say, we’re both really creative people and finding a way to fulfill that desire to create has been a huge part of our business.

Pricing:

• Mini Scoop = $4
• Single Scoop = $6
• Double Scoop = $8
• Milkshake = $8
• Quarts = $15

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blackboxicecream.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackboxicecreamtruck?igsh=MWU1ZDQ1c29oMDZvaQ==