D.C. ice cream shop customers start gesture of gifting free scoops

Patrons of an ice cream shop in Brightwood Park are gifting forward scoops to less fortunate kids.

What's happening: The sweet community tradition at Everyday Sundae grew out of an act of kindness last year when a mother brought her kids for ice cream one Friday afternoon.

Another kid in line didn’t have money, owner Charles Foreman tells Axios, so Foreman gave them a scoop on the house.

• That mom returned a week later to donate $100 to “take care of kids less fortunate” who want ice cream, Foreman shared on Instagram.

Since then, the ice cream fund has taken off, with customers contributing $20 and $100 at a time.

“You’re catching people at their best doing things they’re not necessarily [seeking] recognition for,” Foreman says.

Can confirm: Sure enough, Foreman gave two kiddos free ice cream last Friday while we visited.

Flashback: A neighborhood resident, Foreman opened Everyday Sundae in 2021 between other cozy cafés on fast-growing Kennedy Street NW. The Minnesota native was a chef until the pandemic struck.

Zoom out: The tradition calls to mind an Italian act of charity known as caffè sospeso, or “suspended coffee,” when a patron buys two espressos — one to enjoy and one for a stranger.