What Graeter's does

Graeter's Ice Cream Co., founded in 1870 in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a fourth-generation family-owned craft ice cream manufacturer operating as the only commercial practitioner of the traditional French Pot batch freezing process. Each batch is hand-made in 2.5-gallon increments in spinning metal pots, yielding ultra-creamy, dense ice cream with virtually no added air; the resulting "Legendary Chocolate Chips" are formed by pouring melted gourmet chocolate directly into the pot to create irregular, large chocolate chunks, and every pint is hand-packed. The company maintains a portfolio of more than 50 ice cream flavors across pints, Chip Wheelies (ice cream sandwiches), and ice cream pies, supported by Star-K and Star-D Kosher certifications, and operates a Cincinnati-based bakery producing donuts, cookies, and cakes.

The business generates revenue through a multi-channel go-to-market model: 60+ company-owned scoop shops across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania; nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping to all 50 states via UPS Next Day Air from its 2010 Louisville manufacturing plant; grocery distribution through Kroger and regional retailers; a B2B corporate gifting program with custom branding at 100+ unit minimums; ice cream catering and food truck services for events of 50+ guests; birthday party packages with private rooms; branded merchandise; and gift cards. Pricing is premium-tier, with 12-pint packs at $129.96 (regularly $169.92) and Chip Wheelies 12-packs at $84.00. The customer base spans individual consumers, families, corporate clients, event organizers, and gift buyers, with notable brand collaborations including Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby), Skyline Chili, and New Riff Distilling.

Operationally, the company is led by fourth-generation owners Richard Graeter (President & CEO since 2007) and Chip Graeter (Chief of Retail Operations). Under Richard Graeter's tenure, the firm has roughly doubled its owned-store footprint through Dayton and Columbus acquisitions, opened the Louisville manufacturing plant, and launched nationwide e-commerce shipping. The brand underwent a refresh in late 2025 with a new "Taste the Graetest" tagline. The company remains privately held with no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds in the source data; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Graeter's

Legal name

Graeter's Ice Cream Co.

Website

http://graeters.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Graeter's is a fourth-generation, family-owned craft ice cream maker founded in 1870 in Cincinnati, producing artisanal ice cream via the proprietary French Pot batch process and distributing through 60+ scoop shops, nationwide DTC shipping, grocery, corporate gifting, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA), Ice Cream (Hard Pack) Manufacturing (AFAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Frozen desserts retail
• Ice cream manufacturing
• Dessert catering services
• Corporate gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: Direct sales of ice cream through company-owned scoop shops and retail stores to consumers purchasing by the scoop or pint.
2. Nationwide Shipping: Direct-to-consumer online ordering with nationwide shipping of ice cream pints, packs, ice cream pies, and Chip Wheelies delivered frozen to customers across all 50 states.
3. Grocery Distribution: Distribution of packaged pints through grocery retail partners including Kroger and local stores.
4. Corporate Gifting: B2B corporate gifting programs where companies order bulk ice cream for employee appreciation and client gifts with minimum orders of 10+ recipients.
5. Catering Services: Catering for events with minimum 50 sundaes required for delivery, including sundae bars, scoop services, and food truck rentals.
6. Gift Cards: Sale of physical and digital gift cards for use at retail stores and online ordering.
7. Candy and Toppings: Sale of fine candies, dessert sauces, truffles, and toppings including gourmet chocolates, butterscotch, bittersweet chocolate sauce, and pecan candies.
8. Bakery Products: Fresh baked goods including donuts, cookies, and cakes at Cincinnati bakery locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Graeter's manufactures and sells small-batch artisanal ice cream using the traditional French Pot batch process, where ice cream is frozen 2½ gallons at a time in spinning metal pots to produce ultra-creamy, dense ice cream with minimal added air. The company sells hand-packed pints, Chip Wheelies (ice cream sandwiches), ice cream pies, sauces, candies, and bakery items directly through 60+ company-owned scoop shops, nationwide online shipping, grocery retail partners, corporate gifting, and event catering.

Product overview

Graeter's is a family-owned craft ice cream maker offering a diverse portfolio of products and services. The core offering centers on hand-packed ice cream made using the traditional French Pot process (small 2½ gallon batches), available in pints, Chip Wheelies (ice cream sandwiches), and ice cream pies. The company operates retail scoop shops across multiple states and offers nationwide shipping. Complementary product lines include fine candies, dessert sauces, and fresh baked goods from their Cincinnati bakery. Additional services encompass corporate gifting with custom branding, ice cream catering for events, birthday party packages with private rooms and Lil' Pints Playroom, and a Sweet Rewards loyalty program with mobile app. The brand is known for limited-edition collaborations including Skyline Chili and Kentucky Derby partnerships, with a new brand tagline 'Taste the Graetest.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ice Cream Pints Hand-packed French Pot ice cream available in pints and multi-pack formats, sold in scoop shops, grocery stores, and shipped nationwide to all 50 U.S. states.
• Chip Wheelies Handheld ice cream sandwiches made with vanilla chocolate chip ice cream between cookie-style wafers, available in 12-packs shipped nationwide.
• Ice Cream Pies Ice cream pies shipped with guaranteed frozen delivery, available in customizable 2-pack options including Black Raspberry Chip and Buckeye Blitz flavors.
• Dessert Sauces and Candies Fine candies and gourmet dessert sauces including Bittersweet and Butterscotch dessert sauces, gourmet truffles, pecan patties, and Florentines.
• Branded Merchandise Graeter's branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, teddy bears, ice cream scoopers, and soft-sided coolers.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable at Graeter's retail stores and online for nationwide ice cream shipping.
• Corporate Gifting Program Corporate gifting program offering bulk ice cream orders (6-pints, 12-pints, 12-pack ice cream sandwiches) for employee appreciation and client gifts, with minimum 10 recipients and custom branding at 100+ orders.
• Cincinnati Bakery Items Fresh baked goods including donuts, cookies, and cakes handmade daily at Cincinnati-area bakery locations.
• Scoop Shop Retail Locations 60+ retail scoop shop locations across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania offering in-store ice cream service, sundaes, frozen drinks, and party rooms.
• Ice Cream Catering & Events Catering services for events including Full Sundae Bar, Just Scoops, and ice cream food truck rentals, with minimum 50 sundaes for delivery and 48 hours advance notice required.
• Sweet Rewards Loyalty Program Mobile app-based loyalty program with points for purchases ($5 for every 100 points), free cone for new members, birthday rewards, advance ordering for pickup/delivery, and exclusive promotional offers.
• Birthday Party Packages Birthday party packages with private rooms, create-your-own sundae bar, dedicated hostess, party favors, t-shirt and gift for the birthday child, and Lil' Pints Playroom at select locations.
• Flavor Bundles and Collections Pre-curated multi-pack flavor bundles including The Winner's Circle, Ultimate Skyline Bundle, Bourbon Bundle, Chocolate Lover's Dream, Dairy Free Sorbet Bundle, Nut Free Bundle, The Ultimate Graeter's Experience, and Adventurous Scoopers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won Dairy Foods' first-ever Product of the Year award for Skyline Spice Ice Cream with 42% of vote (8,205 total votes)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Kentucky Derby (152nd Run for the Roses)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 April 2026Featured as one of multiple brand partners at the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2026 in Louisville, KY. Partnership includes immersive activations and brand presence at the premier horse racing event.
• Churchill Downs / Kentucky DerbyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Graeter's released limited-edition Backstretch Bourbon Cherry flavor in collaboration with Churchill Downs, officially licensed by Kentucky Derby. The bourbon-kissed ice cream with black cherries and pralines was available April 13, 2026 for nationwide shipping and in-store purchases. This builds on multi-year partnership as a Kentucky Derby partner.
• Skyline ChiliflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Collaboration to create Skyline Spice Ice Cream combining Graeter's French Pot ice cream with Skyline's secret spice mix and oyster crackers. Development took approximately 2.5 years. The flavor won Dairy Foods' first Product of the Year award in 2025 and generated 13 billion social media impressions. Product brought back on limited basis in October 2025 for National Chili Month.
• New Riff DistillingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2025Collaboration to create Bourbon Ball Ice Cream featuring New Riff Single Barrel bourbon with Graeter's dark chocolate and bourbon-glazed pecans. Tribute to the rich flavors of Kentucky.
• Rookwood PotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual collaborative bowl partnership with Cincinnati Reds Community Fund. Limited edition Rookwood Pottery bowls released to celebrate National Ice Cream Month.
• Cincinnati RedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for Reds Community Fund with annual limited edition Rookwood Pottery bowl releases to celebrate baseball season and National Ice Cream Month.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical GardenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship of Fritz & Fiona's Sundae Fundae summer event at the Cincinnati Zoo, combining ice cream with animal experiences.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Direct artisanal competitor explicitly named alongside Graeter's in the premium ice cream category. Operates scoop shops, DTC nationwide shipping, and grocery distribution with a similarly craft-positioned brand.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Artisanal small-batch ice cream maker with scoop shops, DTC shipping, and chef-driven limited-edition flavor collaborations. Listed alongside Graeter's as a top artisanal ice cream player.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium artisanal ice cream brand with nationwide grocery distribution, scoop shops, and DTC channels. Comparable premium-price positioning and craft narrative to Graeter's.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: Small-batch, family-heritage ice cream maker on the West Coast with scoop shops, DTC shipping, and grocery pints. Highly comparable heritage-and-quality positioning to Graeter's.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's Homemade: Mass-market super-premium ice cream brand owned by Unilever. Competes with Graeter's on grocery shelves and in the broader premium pint category at much larger scale.
• Häagen-Dazs: Iconic super-premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé with global grocery and scoop shop presence. Sets the price-quality benchmark Graeter's competes against in retail freezers.
• Talenti Gelato: Premium gelato and ice cream brand owned by Unilever with strong grocery distribution. Competes with Graeter's pints on freezer shelves at a similar super-premium price point.
• Wells Enterprises (Blue Bunny / Blue Ribbon): Large U.S. ice cream manufacturer producing Blue Bunny and other premium brands. Provides the industrial-scale grocery competition Graeter's faces on frozen aisles and as a private-label partner.

Regional players

• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned Oregon dairy cooperative with a premium ice cream line and broader dairy CPG portfolio. Comparable vertically integrated dairy heritage story and scoop shop / grocery footprint in the Pacific Northwest.
• Bassetts Ice Cream: Heritage Philadelphia-based family ice cream brand with scoop shops and a long history. Comparable multi-generational family business operating scoop shops and limited DTC presence on the East Coast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Graeters
• Facebookfacebook.com/Graeters
• Instagraminstagram.com/graeters
• Pinterestpinterest.com/graeters

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Graeter's