Thelma's Treats

What Thelma's Treats does

Thelma's Treats is a privately held, Iowa-incorporated limited liability company (Thelma's, L.L.C.) that produces and sells hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches through grocery retail and event channels in the United States. Founded in 2012 in Des Moines by Dereck Lewis and his mother, the company uses a variation of Great-Grandma Thelma's original 1904 snickerdoodle cookie recipe as its core formulation, with each treat produced by hand in the company's own production kitchen at its 2323 Hubbell Avenue headquarters in Des Moines. The product line has expanded from the original snickerdoodle to multiple cookie-and-ice-cream flavor combinations, offered in 6 oz single-serve and 4-pack configurations.

The company's core technology is a hand-crafted ice cream sandwich production process, complemented by the patented "Little Oven Box" packaging design that allowed warm cookies to be delivered alongside the frozen product and which the company describes as having become a viral, internationally recognized packaging innovation. Distribution is achieved primarily through grocery retail partners, with products available in over 6,000 retail locations nationwide, supplemented by direct sales at community events and festivals such as the Des Moines Arts Festival, RAGBRAI, Iowa State Fair, and Minnesota State Fair. Marketing is built around organic social media (Facebook, Instagram), the company website, and event participation.

Thelma's generates revenue through one-time retail product sales of premium frozen desserts at grocery point-of-sale, targeting individual grocery retail consumers for personal consumption, family treats, and gifting occasions. The company is founder-controlled, with Dereck Lewis serving as Founder + CEO, and has raised approximately $3.8 million via a 2022 SEC Form D exempt securities offering. No institutional investor, parent company, acquisition activity, or public-company status is identified in the available data. The company operates as a single-product, single-category CPG brand with a horizontal B2C segmentation approach.

Name

Thelma's Treats

Legal name

Thelma's, L.L.C.

Website

https://thelmastreats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Thelma's Treats is a privately held Des Moines-based CPG company that produces hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches using Great-Grandma Thelma's original 1904 snickerdoodle recipe, distributing them through 6,000+ U.S. grocery retail locations and regional events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Ice Cream Sandwiches

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Cookies & Crackers (2052), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE), Frozen Snacks & Appetizers (CRADADAD)

Keywords

• Handmade ice cream sandwiches
• Frozen novelty desserts
• Artisan cookie desserts
• Premium frozen snacks
• Grocery frozen desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Thelma's generates revenue through the sale of premium ice cream sandwiches at retail grocery locations across 6,000+ stores. Products are sold in single-serve 6 oz format and 4-pack boxes. This is a one-time transaction revenue model at point of retail sale.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Thelma's Treats manufactures and sells handmade ice cream sandwiches made with chewy cookies (using a variation of Great-Grandma Thelma's original 1904 snickerdoodle recipe) and premium ice cream. Products are produced by hand in the company's Des Moines, Iowa kitchen and distributed nationally through grocery retail partners in 6 oz single-serve and 4-pack configurations across multiple flavors including Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip, S'mores, Mint Double Chocolate, Strawberry Sugar, Monster Cookie, Caramel Coffee, and Snickerdoodle Eggnog.

Product overview

Thelma's Treats is a single-product company offering handcrafted ice cream sandwiches made in Des Moines, Iowa. The core product line consists of ice cream sandwiches featuring chewy cookies (primarily snickerdoodle-based) with various flavor combinations, available in single-serve (6 oz) and 4-pack (4 oz each) sizes. All products are made by hand in the company's own kitchen using Great-Grandma Thelma's original recipe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handmade Ice Cream Sandwiches Handcrafted ice cream sandwiches built with two chewy cookies and ice cream in the middle, made by hand in the Des Moines, Iowa kitchen using a variation of Great-Grandma Thelma's original 1904 snickerdoodle recipe. Available in multiple flavors (Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip, S'mores, Mint Double Chocolate, Strawberry Sugar, Monster Cookie, Caramel Coffee, Snickerdoodle Eggnog, and more) in 6 oz single-serve and 4-pack (4 oz each) formats for grocery retail consumers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Peers

• Talenti:

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is a broad incumbent dominating the premium ice cream category with extensive grocery distribution and a vast SKU lineup. Comparable to Thelma's as a competitor for premium freezer space and consumer mindshare.
• Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs is a broad incumbent in premium packaged ice cream with ubiquitous grocery presence. Comparable as a head-to-head competitor for premium positioning, gift/occasion occasions, and freezer case real estate.

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni's is a direct peer as a craft, story-driven ice cream brand with national grocery distribution and a premium price point. Comparable to Thelma's on premium positioning, founder-led heritage narrative, and emphasis on unconventional flavors.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Van Leeuwen is a direct peer as a premium, brand-led ice cream maker with national grocery and foodservice presence. Comparable on premium price positioning, strong brand storytelling, and rapid retail expansion.
• Salt & Straw: Salt & Straw is a direct peer as a craft ice cream brand with a compelling origin story, premium pricing, and expanding grocery distribution. Comparable on artisanal positioning, distinctive flavors, and retail-channel growth strategy.
• Coolhaus: Coolhaus is a direct peer as a premium, architecturally-branded ice cream sandwich maker sold through grocery retail and scoop shops. Closely matches Thelma's on product format, premium positioning, and grocery channel go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thelmastreats
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelmastreats
• Xx.com/thelmastreats

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thelma's Treats