95 Plummer Boulevard, Chatham
217-697-8327
Established: 2015
Owners: Shannon McAuley and Fran Abbott
Employees: 14
Services: restaurant
Scoop Du Jour was founded in 2015 by Shannon McAuley and Fran Abbott after realizing Chatham needed an ice cream parlor. Both wanted to see the old-fashioned, hand-scooped ice cream shop make a comeback. The two had more than 50 years of combined experience in retail, so they decided to go for it. The parlor has been a staple in Chatham now for more than a decade.
“We worked together for County Market and realized we could use an ice cream shop,” Abbott said. “So, we pooled our resources and opened a shop in the same plaza. We eventually moved across the street so that we could do coffee. Then we opened the bar next door so we could do pizza and boozy shakes.”
Scoop Du Jour has become a great place for those interested in part-time work. “Most of our staff either go to school part time or have families,” Abbott said. “And our night-time staff consists of mostly students and people that may have a full-time day job. During the summer, our college kids come back to work part time as well.”
Scoop Du Jour offers ice cream, coffee, donuts, pastries and now pizza. “We believe that supporting the community is a big reason that we have received so much support and loyalty from our customers,” Abbott said. “This has made us the place for gatherings, meetings, date nights, studying and family night as well as many other fun events.”
This article appears in 15 under Fifteen 2026.