Brandt Urban, an employee at Howdy Homemade ice cream shop, scooped up a large amount of chocolate ice cream and then handed it to a customer.

He said he loves everything about working at the ice cream shop, but especially working the cash register.

“I love doing every single thing,” he said to The Dallas Express with obvious enthusiasm on Monday afternoon.

Urban has Down syndrome, and Howdy Homemade is an employer specifically looking for people just like him.

Tom Landis, the owner of Howdy Homemade, told The Dallas Express that his company has created more than 160 jobs for special needs people, with more expected as the company plans to expand.

He said people with Down syndrome and those who are on the autism spectrum have something that neurotypical individuals do not:

“Their take on everything, it’s pure, it’s genuine,” Landis said, speaking to The Dallas Express in one of Howdy Homemade’s ice cream trucks, which go to pre-planned events like church meetings and holiday gatherings.

He said the special needs employees are happier than other people but admitted “happy” might not be the right word.

“Because happiness is kind of contingent on circumstances,” Landis said. “They have more joy. More genuine joy. It’s just part of them. It’s not going to change on their circumstances.”

Howdy Homemade, launched in 2015, employs 15 people, Landis said. Of those 15 people, 12 were people with special needs. There are now 10 locations in five states, with franchise opportunities available. Other Texas locations include El Paso, Katy, and Lubbock.

Some of the ice cream flavors are typical, like vanilla and chocolate, but others are more unusual such as Dr. Pepper chocolate chip or Cold Brew & Cookies.

One worker, Faith, makes the ice cream. Landis said that she has speech impediments and learning disabilities, which caused her to be bullied so badly that she dropped out of high school.

According to Landis, her dad would “swear on a stack of bibles his daughter would never get a job.”

“She goes from making $7.75 to 15 bucks an hour, has a key to the place, and has worked for us for 13 months,” he said. “She’s better at making ice cream than me.”

Landis was inspired to start Howdy Homemade by football legend coach Gene Stallings, whose son Johnny had Down syndrome, and who later became an advocate for those with Down syndrome.

Landis related a story of another football legend Harvey Nual “Rusty” Russell, who invented the spread offense because his team was smaller on average than other teams.

He described how Russell’s invention of the spread offense showed how different people can be useful to employers based on their abilities.

“Anybody who’s in a position of power or has money or control of a business cannot tell me that they can’t employ somebody,” said Landis.

And Landis said that his employees keep their restaurant jobs for longer than most.

“There’s a 300% turnover rate on average for the restaurant industry,” he said. “So how do we fix that? By finding people who truly want to work.”

Landis said he took out two mortgages on his home and fell behind on his rent in order to make Howdy Homemade a reality. When he first started, nobody would invest.

Bob Sambol, the founder of Bob’s Steak and Chop House, told The Dallas Express that he has been friends with Landis for more than 20 years, and when he first heard his idea of starting an ice cream business by employing special needs people, he thought it was crazy, and that nobody would invest.

Sambol said the progress of the concept has been great. He introduced Landis to a financial partner of his to help the business, and things moved forward from there. Eventually, the business did start seeing some investments.

Sambol said that Texas Capital Bank started investing in Howdy Homemade because Landis provided samples to the employees at the bank, including the president.

“They think this is the greatest,” Sambol said the bank president told him. “All anybody wants to talk about is Howdy Homemade.”

Howdy Homemade now offers samples in H-E-B grocery stores in the area. Landis said his employees often turn what he perceives as disarming into a success through their “friendly way.”

But Landis said he has seen how employing those with special needs has impacted people. He recounted a time when a man who was walking by Howdy Homemade employees handing out samples told Landis that he had a child with special needs and never thought they would find a place to work.

“I didn’t know how to respond,” Landis said. “Tears start coming. They start sharing whatever, and that’s what we’re trying to create.”