Smitten Ice Cream
Smitten Ice Cream is a founder-owned premium ice cream retailer operating two California storefronts (San Francisco Mission District and San Jose Santana Row) plus catering and merchandise, using its patented Brrr Machine to churn made-to-order cryogenic ice cream in approximately 90 seconds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Smitten Ice Cream does
Smitten Ice Cream is a privately held, founder-owned premium ice cream retailer founded in 2007 by Robyn Sue Fisher in San Francisco. The company operates two retail storefronts in California — the original Mission District shop at 904 Valencia Street (2017) and a Santana Row location in San Jose (2016) — alongside a catering vertical and an e-commerce merchandise store. Its commercial differentiation rests on the proprietary Brrr Machine, a patented cryogenic (liquid-nitrogen) ice cream freezer that churns made-to-order ice cream in approximately 90 seconds. The technology is protected by eight utility patents, incorporates double helical mixing blades to minimize ice-crystal size, and uses control-system software that measures viscosity to automate the freezing process. Smitten is the only operator with a commercial-certified cryogenic ice cream machine of this kind, and the system is regulatory-approved for retail use.
Smitten's revenue model is predominantly direct-to-consumer through physical retail, supplemented by full-service and grab-and-go catering for corporate events and weddings, gift-card sales (denominations $10–$200), and branded merchandise (apparel, totes, glassware). Online ordering is facilitated via the third-party Toast Tab platform for both delivery and pickup. Pricing sits at the premium end of the category, with San Francisco transactions carrying an additional 6% Healthy SF Mandate surcharge and catering packages carrying 15% gratuity plus sales tax.
The company employs 51–100 people, is led by founder and CEO Robyn Sue Fisher with Chef Brooke Mosley as Culinary Director, and has no disclosed institutional investor beyond a single 2018 Alumni Ventures event. Marketing relies heavily on earned media coverage from Vogue, Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Wired, TechCrunch, Newsweek, TastingTable (which ranked Smitten #1 in 25 Best Ice Cream Brands), and the New York Times, along with organic social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The business has not disclosed revenue, has not pursued aggressive multi-unit expansion, and shows no AI/ML, M&A, or major product-platform moves beyond incremental flavor, catering, and merchandise extensions.
Smitten Ice Cream firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smitten Ice Cream
- Legal name
- Smitten Ice Cream
- Website
- https://smittenicecream.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Smitten Ice Cream is a founder-owned premium ice cream retailer operating two California storefronts (San Francisco Mission District and San Jose Santana Row) plus catering and merchandise, using its patented Brrr Machine to churn made-to-order cryogenic ice cream in approximately 90 seconds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smitten Ice Cream industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Ice Cream Retail
- NAICS
- Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)
- SIC
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)
Keywords
Where Smitten Ice Cream is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Smitten Ice Cream business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Ice Cream Sales: Physical storefront sales of freshly made ice cream, sundaes, waffles, floats, and non-dairy pops at two California locations (San Francisco and San Jose).
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase online and at physical locations.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, insulated totes, and glassware through online store.
- Catering Services: Full-service and grab-and-go catering for events including weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and celebrations. Available in San Francisco and San Jose locations with custom smidgens for large orders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards available in preset denominations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Card - Base Denomination |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded Merchandise - Various Items |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Full-Service Catering Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grab & Go Smidgens |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Smitten Ice Cream product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smitten Ice Cream manufactures and serves freshly made ice cream in approximately 90 seconds using its patented cryogenic Brrr Machine technology, sold through two walk-up shops in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mission District and Santana Row) and supplemented by event catering and a small branded-merchandise storefront. The made-to-order process using liquid nitrogen-based freezing, double helical mixing blades, and viscosity-control software produces ultra-smooth ice cream with no preservatives or storage time.
Product overview
Smitten Ice Cream operates as a single-brand ice cream retail and catering business with a unified product portfolio anchored by its proprietary Brrr Machine technology. The core offering consists of made-to-order ice cream churned fresh in ~90 seconds via cryogenic freezing, available in rotating seasonal flavors at two California locations (San Francisco Mission District and San Jose Santana Row). Adjacent products include sundaes, waffles, floats, and non-dairy pops, plus full-service and grab-and-go catering for events. The merchandise line supplements the brand with apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts), accessories (tote bag, float glass), and gift cards. All products and services derive from a single proprietary technology platform—the Brrr Machine—rather than a modular platform-plus-add-ons architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Ice Cream Menu Made-to-order ice cream and adjacent desserts churned fresh in approximately 90 seconds using the patented cryogenic Brrr Machine, including rotating seasonal flavors (Vanilla Black Sesame, Strawberry Cream, Brookies 'n Cream, Cookie Dough with Pretzels & Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Ganache, Classic Vanilla, Roasted Banana, Pineapple Cream), sundaes (OMG, Black Sesame, Churro Waffle, Bad Bananny) with house-made waffle bowls, classic floats paired with Root Beer, Mexican Coke, Mandarin Soda or KACE Fruit Tea, the 'LOOKIN' LIKE A SNACK' pint series, and non-dairy options such as Fudge Pop and Future Pop. Targeted at walk-in customers at the San Francisco Mission District and San Jose Santana Row shops.
- Full-Service Catering On-site event catering featuring freshly made ice cream prepared to order in front of guests using the Brrr Machine, offered in three customizable packages spanning 2-4 flavors and a variety of toppings with full-service setup and staff. Targeted at event hosts in San Francisco and San Jose for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and celebrations. Pricing includes 15% gratuity and applicable sales tax, with the 6% Healthy SF Mandate surcharge applied to San Francisco events.
- Grab & Go Smidgens Pre-packaged single-scoop servings of Smitten ice cream packaged with a wooden spoon under the lid for convenient transport, with custom labels available for large orders and dry ice available for transport. Targeted at event hosts needing a transportable option beyond full-service catering.
- Gift Cards Physical Smitten gift cards redeemable at both California shop locations, available in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 with online purchase shipped within 1-2 business days. Targeted at consumers purchasing for friends, family, and colleagues.
- Branded Merchandise Online store assortment of Smitten-branded products including apparel (Original Smitten T-shirt, I CHOOSE LOVE Adult and Kids T-shirts and Adult Sweatshirt, Engineer Cone T-shirt, Cone & Logo T-shirt) supplied by Bella+Canvas with eco-friendly Airlume combed cotton, the Smitten Insulated Tote, and 16oz Logo Float Glass. Selected items are sold at discount from original list price; I CHOOSE LOVE items direct 100% of proceeds to the Courage Museum.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ice cream produced in ~90 seconds vs traditional methods
Companies that use Smitten Ice Cream
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Smitten Ice Cream technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Smitten Ice Cream partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Alcohol-Infused Ice Cream MarketminorSmitten Ice Cream operates in the broader alcohol-infused ice cream market which is expanding globally, with estimated revenue of USD 939.8 million in 2024 and projected to reach USD 2287.3 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 9.5%.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Smitten Ice Cream competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Creamistry: Creamistry also uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream to-order at the point of sale, making it the closest direct peer in technology and customer experience to Smitten's Brrr Machine concept.
- Salt & Straw: Premium artisanal scoop shop chain competing in the same premium ice cream segment with rotating small-batch flavors, multi-location retail, and a strong brand-driven marketing approach similar to Smitten.
- McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: California-based premium ice cream maker with scoop shops and packaged pint distribution, sharing Smitten's California roots, premium pricing, and craft positioning.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Direct-to-consumer and retail scoop shop premium ice cream brand with a national footprint and packaged pint distribution; comparable to Smitten on small-batch positioning, brand-driven growth, and founder-led origin story.
- Coolhaus: Architectural/food-truck-origin premium ice cream brand offering both scoop shops and packaged pints; comparable to Smitten on its tech/design-forward brand identity and retail-plus-packaged product mix.
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium ice cream brand built on distinctive flavors and clean ingredients with retail scoop shops and packaged pint distribution; overlaps Smitten on premium positioning, flavor innovation, and customer demographic.
Regional players
- Amorino: European-origin premium gelato shop chain with a strong experiential retail concept; comparable to Smitten on theatrical, made-to-order premium dessert experience and gift-card-driven gifting, though operating primarily outside the US.
Broad incumbents
- Talenti Gelato: National packaged gelato/ice cream brand sitting in the same premium frozen dessert aisle Smitten's pint series would target; provides the packaged benchmark for at-home premium competition.
- Ben & Jerry's: Iconic mass-market premium ice cream brand with national scoop shop and grocery footprint; competes for the same premium consumer spend but at a fundamentally different scale and distribution model.
- Häagen-Dazs: Established mass-premium ice cream brand with broad retail and scoop shop presence; overlaps Smitten on premium positioning but operates at vastly greater scale and through grocery distribution Smitten does not currently access.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Smitten Ice Cream social profiles
Digital presenceSmitten Ice Cream financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smitten Ice Cream leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Smitten Ice Cream funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smitten Ice Cream M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smitten Ice Cream
What does Smitten Ice Cream do?
Smitten Ice Cream manufactures and serves freshly made ice cream in approximately 90 seconds using its patented cryogenic Brrr Machine technology, sold through two walk-up shops in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mission District and Santana Row) and supplemented by event catering and a small branded-merchandise storefront. The made-to-order process using liquid nitrogen-based freezing, double helical mixing blades, and viscosity-control software produces ultra-smooth ice cream with no preservatives or storage time.
Is Smitten Ice Cream a public or private company?
Smitten Ice Cream is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smitten Ice Cream founded?
Smitten Ice Cream was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Smitten Ice Cream based?
Smitten Ice Cream is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smitten Ice Cream make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Ice Cream Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards, merchandise Sales and catering Services.
Who are Smitten Ice Cream's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Creamistry, Salt & Straw, McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, Coolhaus and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Amorino is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Talenti Gelato, Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs.
Does Smitten Ice Cream have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smitten Ice Cream.
What industry is Smitten Ice Cream in?
Smitten Ice Cream's product category is Artisanal Ice Cream Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAE, Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 31152 and its SIC code is 2024.