Meet Nic Beckett | Co-owner & Ice Cream Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nic Beckett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nic, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
During the pandemic (2021), my brother and I were sitting at one of Flagstaff’s drive-thru establishments where we ordered some milkshakes. I looked over at my brother and asked, “How is this the best ice cream in Flagstaff?” A week or so later, I started experimenting with different ice cream recipes at home using my Cuisinart ice cream maker. Each batch I made was better than the previous batch, and we soon realized that we were onto something special. As we became a bit more serious about starting a business, we experimented with different milk and cream combinations, and we even experimented with most of Arizona’s dairy products. They were good, but not great, so we decided to look into organic milk and organic cream from California, and it was love at first bite. My first reaction after eating our Vanilla Bean was, “This is the best ice cream I have ever had!”. It was at that moment, we knew that we had to start a business. We wanted to share that same feeling of happiness and joy with our Flagstaff community.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Both of our pre-ice cream careers were in the food industry. I (Nic) have done, literally, everything in the restaurant world, both front-of-house and back-of-house, and Seth has 10+ years of front-of-house experience. I (Nic) also worked in the non-profit sector for over 5 years at the Museum of Northern Arizona, and I still work at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research. Seth recently left his job at Salsa Brava to work full-time in the ice cream shop, and before that, he was a server at Dara Thai for 7+ years. Working in the service industry can be extremely rewarding, but also extremely frustrating. Wages aren’t always the best, and you get to deal with a whole spectrum of personality types. We both have been fired from jobs, we both have walked out of jobs, and we both have had restaurant jobs that we absolutely loved. Through these trials and tribulations, we learned that we loved the industry, but we didn’t like working for other people. We wanted to be the boss and make our own decisions. Starting a business is about making money, and we get that, but we also feel the greater need to be a part of this community and we want to be present in our business, not just investors. We aim to be a part of this community, not just as a business, but as a volunteer, a friend, and a safe place for families to enjoy a much-deserved break from the chaos of the world. We are firm believers in supporting local.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I hope they are visiting when the weather is nice, so we can play some disc golf. We would take them to one of our courses in Flag, then follow up the round with some food and maybe a cold beer from one of our many great local breweries. We like to be outside, so there are endless trails to hike, and many patios to sit at to enjoy some adult beverages. I (Nic) am a foodie, so I would take my friend around town and keep their belly full of delicious eats. What’s a trip to Flagstaff without some breakfast at MartAnne’s, a sandwich from Proper, some BBQ from Satchmo’s, some coffee from White Dove or Macy’s, or a brew from Mother Road? And that can all be done on day 1. Day two and beyond, we’re checking out Late for the Train, Biff’s Bagels, Drinking Horn Mead Hall, grabbing a snack at Chocolita (our neighbor), and finishing the night at Shift. By the time my friend’s trip is over, they’ve gained 5 lbs from eating all the good stuff this town has to offer, but that’s why we do daily hikes and disc golf. And lastly, to wrap up the trip, we’re throwing some axes at FlagTag AZ. No better way to end a long trip, than to throw some axes like a lumberjack, throw a knife like a pirate, or pretend you’re a ninja and throw some ninja stars.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that we want to thank for helping us get this business started, but we can think of a couple who were instrumental in getting our business going. Our parents, Dave and Cindy Beckett, have been our biggest supporters, and have been by our sides since the beginning. When we told them we wanted to start a business, their response was, “How can we help?”. We also want to express our gratitude to Scott Sawyer, the owner of FlagTag AZ. Scott opened up his kitchen to us, and without his flexibility and mentorship, we would not be where we are today. Scott is an awesome guy and a great mentor for the small business community in Flagstaff. We try to “throw” (axe throw) him love and support whenever we can. Lastly, a huge shoutout to our friends and regulars who have been buying ice cream from us since day one. We love ice cream because ice cream makes people happy, and it’s an honor to have so many people support us and our mission, “to bring happiness, one scoop at a time”. You know who you are, and we truly appreciate you!

Website: https://www.ticflagstaff.com

Instagram: tic_flagstaff

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-beckett-1a534920

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085749780524

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/timberline-ice-cream-flagstaff