(This article was written as part of a new contest sponsored by Stafford County Economic Development during the 2026 Stafford County Fair. Entrants were tasked with taking a photo of a Stafford County business owner and then writing two paragraphs about the business. I also turned in a short version of this story to fit the contest parameters, but I wrote this feature-length story after enjoying my interview with all the girls and their moms. After all, I am a feature writer/reporter at heart.)
A Facebook post on May 3 provided the first inkling that something new was coming to 111 West Broadway in downtown Stafford:
 |
| From the Pop Shop Facebook page |
Mom Julie Byer admits she hoped they’d sell six drinks a day. They had 200 cups when they first opened for business, and they figured they’d last a week … maybe even the whole month. They barely made it through the first day. The moms were on a grocery run for additional supplies after only a couple of hours. By the end of the day, they’d been back to the store three times.
Stafford had shown up for these budding entrepreneurs. And they continue to show up. On June 13, the Pop Shop celebrated its 1,000th transaction with confetti. By July 11, they were nearing their 2,000th transaction and were already trying to come up with a way to celebrate another milestone. They purposefully set their prices much more economically than the big-name drink shops. They wanted to build repeat customers through competitive pricing, and the strategy has paid off with high traffic during pool hours, through drink runs from local businesses, during the lunch hour, after work and for after-dinner treats.
The idea originated with the moms, who all work together at Stafford County Hospital.
“These girls have basically grown up with one another,” Julie said. “They’re like family.”
Holly said that jobs for teenagers – especially those younger than 16 – aren’t readily available. Rylee had been a lifeguard at the Stafford Pool before and there were the inevitable babysitting jobs. But all the girls wanted a different summer job – a “fun summer job,” Braxie adds.
The building at 111 West Broadway was already set up for food service with a serving counter and seating. The location in the heart of downtown Stafford was ideal. The moms saw a pathway to employment, and the girls bought into the idea. The owner of the building generously allows them to use the building rent-free. The Pop Shop pays for its own utilities.
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes before it’s time to open a business, the girls learned. They went through the Serve Safe certification program to learn how to safely handle food and ingredients. They were inspected by the Kansas Department of Agriculture food inspectors before they could open their doors. They all had to learn the point-of-sale computer system.
 |
| Trojan Ice Cream Nachos - photo from their Facebook page |
But there were fun parts, too. They brainstormed drink ideas. To give customers inspiration for drink creations, the girls each had signature drinks on the menu when they opened: Bristol (Crazy Coconut), Paisley (Electric Wave), Reagan (Orange Oasis), Rylee (Classic), Braxie (Pink Paradise) and Emerson (Trojan Punch). And the brainstorming continues. The girls have dreamed up new drinks to tie to other things happening in Stafford. When the Ritz Theatre brought in “Toy Story” and “Minions and Monsters,” the girls came up with additional drinks unique to several of the main movie characters, like Jessie’s Roundup, To Infinity and Beyond and Kevin’s Banana Split. Similarly, there was a slurry of new red, white and blue creations during the 4th of July weekend.
 |
| From their FB page - one of their 4th of July specials |
“We like tying the drinks to things happening around town,” Stacie said. “It helps both us and the other business.”
Similarly, they’ve brought in several different food trucks on Saturdays. Customers come and get a meal at the food truck and then visit the Trojan Pop Shop for drinks, snow cones and ice cream treats. They have food trucks scheduled for the first four Saturdays of August.
“Every food truck we’ve cooperated with has sold out by mid-afternoon,” Julie said. Those days also bring more money to the Trojan Pop Shop till.
The girls are giving back to the community with those proceeds. Their ice cream machine had been used in the Stafford USD 349’s concession stand. At the end of the summer, a percentage of each ice cream cone sale will go to Stafford’s after-school STAR program. By July 10, they’d sold 600 cones.
There’s another piece of the community behind the counter. A mint green milkshake blender that had been used in the Curtis Café now whirs up ice cream treats for their customers, so there’s a bit of nostalgia for older Pop Shop customers. The girls prefer it to the newer machine beside it. However, after the first week, they did add a modern electric lemon squeezer to the kitchen arsenal to make their fresh-squeezed lemonades.
The girls are learning more than even their moms imagined. They are hands-on with inventory, ordering, counting the money, customer service and advertising through social media. Soon-to-be eighth grader Emerson Lopez writes the pay checks and pays the bills by check.
These are busy young women, each with their own extracurricular activities, ranging from volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, trap shooting, 4-H, driver’s education classes … the list goes on and on. But since some of the girls are in middle school and some are in high school, they’ve juggled the schedule so that at least three of them are on staff during their business hours: 11 AM to 6 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 1 to 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
The moms are working at the hospital, so the girls are on their own the majority of the time serving customers. During their weekly four-day run, they go through 16 gallons of ice cream base, countless bottles of flavored syrups and creamers, as well as a rainbow of mini M&Ms, nuts, cookie crumbs and more.
When school starts, the Trojan Pop Shop will take a hiatus. But every girl says they want the job again next summer. They plan on being open during Stafford’s Oktoberfest and may find some other open weekends for a “pop-up” customer experience advertised through social media.
Bristol says she’s been amazed at the wide range of ages who frequent the shop. Paisley says the experience has helped her learn to stay calm – even when a line of customers forms. Reagan, Rylee and Braxie have been amazed at the faithfulness of the customers, especially those who show up almost every day to support them. And Emerson may be the most honest, when she says her favorite part is getting paid.
The moms have seen growth, too. Like the good friends they are, they spoke together, adding onto the ways they’ve seen their daughters grow this summer.
“Of course, sisters have their moments – probably more with their own sibling than with their friends. But they’ve even grown up this summer with their sibling relationships. They’ve had to work together and rely on one another. They’ve learned what being an entrepreneur and being self-employed means. They’ve learned about customer service and communication skills, about revenue vs. expenses and about paying taxes. They formed an LLC and each has their own bank account. They’ve been forced to problem-solve when they run out of ingredients or something doesn’t work. They have taken giant steps towards adult life.”
None of the girls think that a career slinging drinks or making ice cream cones is their ultimate job goal. But they can see that their experience would make them a qualified barista or part-time café employee in a college town for a little extra money. And being an entrepreneur on some level is among the options at least one of them is considering as they move toward adulthood.
