King of Pops

What King of Pops does

King of Pops is an Atlanta-based food production company founded in 2010 by brothers Steven and Nick Carse that produces and sells handcrafted ice pops. The company manufactures artisanal frozen pops using fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Georgia farms and has developed over 500 flavors since inception across Traditional, Foodie, and Adventurous categories. Its primary distribution format is a distinctive mobile push-cart with a rainbow umbrella, which serves as both retail point and brand identifier.

The company's core go-to-market is the Cartrepreneur® franchise program, launched formally in 2022 after a pandemic-era pivot. Independent franchisees purchase territories and operate branded carts, while King of Pops captures franchise fees and royalties. The franchise network currently spans 10+ US states from Miami to DC and Charleston to Denver. Secondary revenue streams include direct event catering (birthdays, weddings, corporate events, festivals, school events, health and wellness events), bulk pop delivery to select zip codes, custom branded activations for orders of 500+ units, and online merchandise sales (apparel and accessories via Printful).

King of Pops serves a diversified customer base including individual event hosts, enterprise clients (Delta Airlines, Lululemon, The Fox Theatre), educational institutions (Georgia State University, University of Georgia, Vanderbilt University), and nonprofit organizations (Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia). The franchise model, product customization, and dietary-inclusivity options (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free) form the core value proposition. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with 101-250 employees and headquarters at 552 Decatur St. SE, Atlanta, Georgia.

Name

King of Pops

Legal name

King of Pops Inc.

Website

https://kingofpops.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

King of Pops is an Atlanta-based handcrafted popsicle producer and franchisor founded in 2010, selling artisanal ice pops from mobile carts and through event catering, with a Cartrepreneur franchise network spanning 10+ US states serving event organizers, enterprises, and individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handcrafted Ice Pops

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Dessert Vendors (Ice Cream/Dessert Trucks & Carts) (THAFAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mobile / On-Site Catering (Food Trucks for Events, Pop-Ups) (THAFAIAJ), Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

Keywords

• Handcrafted ice pops
• Mobile cart catering
• Popsicle franchise
• Artisanal frozen treats
• Event dessert service

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue: The company generates revenue through its Cartrepreneur franchise program, where franchisees pay fees to operate King of Pops branded carts in their territories. This is the primary growth vehicle as stated in the company history.
2. Event Catering Services: Revenue from booking King of Pops carts for events including birthdays, weddings, corporate events, festivals, and school events. Pricing varies by location, event size, and service needs based on number of pops served plus service and travel fees.
3. Bulk Pop Sales: Direct sales of popsicles in bulk for customers who want just the product without cart service, available through local franchisees or bulk order options.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, tank tops, caps, and baby clothing items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

King of Pops produces and sells handcrafted, artisanal ice pops made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, primarily distributed through mobile push carts at events, festivals, and via a franchise network (Cartrepreneur®). The company also provides event catering services with branded carts, bulk pop delivery, custom pop activations for brands, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

King of Pops is a handcrafted popsicle company that operates a franchise-based business model centered around its core product: artisanal frozen pops sold from distinctive rainbow umbrella push carts. The product portfolio includes over 500 flavors across three main categories (Traditional, Foodie, Adventurous), with the flagship product being ice pops made with natural, locally-sourced ingredients. The company operates through two channels: direct sales via its own Cartrepreneur® operators at events/festivals, and a franchise program (Cartrepreneur®) enabling independent operators to run carts in assigned territories. Additional revenue streams include bulk pop delivery, custom brand activations (custom flavors, wrappers, stick messages), event catering services, and branded merchandise (apparel and accessories sold through Printful). The Cartrepreneur® franchise is the primary growth engine, having shifted focus entirely to franchising in 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cartrepreneur®: A franchise program where local entrepreneurs operate King of Pops carts in their territories.

Products and services

• Handcrafted Popsicles Artisanal frozen pops in over 500 developed flavors across Traditional, Foodie, and Adventurous categories, sold from push carts at events, festivals, and through franchise locations. Made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
• Cartrepreneur® Franchise Program A franchising opportunity allowing entrepreneurs to own and operate King of Pops branded push carts in assigned territories across the US, with cart equipment, brand licensing, operational support, and training provided.
• Event Catering Services Mobile push cart catering for birthdays, weddings, festivals, corporate events, and school events. Includes tiered packages (50 pops + 1 hour, 100 pops + 1 hour) and custom quotes for larger events with Pop Slinger, Rainbow Umbrella, and Cart included.
• King of Pops Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories including unisex hoodies, t-shirts, tank tops, trucker caps, snapback hats, and baby onesies sold through a Printful-powered online store.
• Bulk Pop Delivery Delivery of fresh popsicles in bulk quantities for events without cart service, available through local Cartrepreneurs® or via bulk order option for certain zip codes; delivery orders often start at 25 pops.
• Custom Pop Activation Custom branded pop programs for large orders (starting at 500 units), including custom flavor development, custom wrappers, and custom pop-stick messages for brand activations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million popsicles sold in 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Working Cows DairyminorOthersLocal Georgia-based dairy supplier providing ingredients for King of Pops products. Referenced in the Coffee n' Donuts flavor description as the source of dairy used in cream-based pops.
• Colombia (Direct Cacao Source)minorOthersDirect sourcing relationship for 65% cacao dark chocolate used in the Chocolate Sea Salt flavor. The company directly sources cacao from Colombia for their signature flavor.
• The Chai BoxminorOthersSupplier of Masala chai blend used in the Chai Kulfi flavor. The Chai Box provides a blend of cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel for this limited-time flavor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• La Newyorkina: New York-based artisanal Mexican paleta and frozen dessert brand with shops and event catering. Comparable to King of Pops as an artisanal paleta brand emphasizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients and event catering, but with a primarily Northeast footprint.

Direct peers

• Coolhaus: Architecturally-driven mobile/food-truck ice cream and dessert brand serving events and wholesale channels. Comparable to King of Pops as a mobile-cart/artisanal frozen dessert operator with an experiential/event-led go-to-market and a wholesale push.
• Las Paletas: Mexican-inspired handcrafted paleta (popsicle) brand offering small-batch, locally sourced flavors with vegan and dairy-free options. Comparable to King of Pops as a near-direct artisanal paleta counterpart with overlapping flavor architecture, dietary-inclusion emphasis, and event/catering angle.

Broad incumbents

• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium artisanal ice cream brand with storefronts plus grocery and foodservice distribution and an emphasis on vegan and dietary-inclusive formulations. Comparable to King of Pops in the premium, ingredient-forward frozen-dessert positioning and dietary-inclusive messaging targeting event and retail customers.
• Salt & Straw: Small-batch, chef-driven ice cream brand with nationally distributed scoop shops. Comparable to King of Pops in the artisanal frozen-treat category, with overlapping flavor innovation and event/catering exposure, though operating primarily through fixed retail.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Direct-to-consumer scoop shop and grocery brand known for unique flavors and dairy-free options. Comparable to King of Pops in artisanal flavor development and dietary-inclusive formulations aimed at premium event and gift occasions.
• Mister Softee: Iconic mobile ice-cream vending franchise operating branded trucks across the U.S. Comparable to King of Pops as a longstanding franchise-based ice cream truck network serving outdoor and event demand, though at a much larger scale and with a conventional (non-artisanal) product.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global super-premium ice cream brand with a deep foodservice, scoop shop, and event presence. Comparable to King of Pops as a premium-positioned frozen dessert player used at events and corporate accounts, though at vastly greater scale and with a fixed-retail focus.

Emerging players

• Republic of Booza: Boutique stretchy-ice cream (booza) brand with limited scoop shops and a craft, ingredient-forward positioning. Comparable to King of Pops as an emerging artisanal frozen-dessert brand competing for premium event, catering, and gifting budgets.
• The Baked Bear: Custom ice-cream-sandwich shop chain with franchise expansion and an experiential, social-media-friendly product. Comparable to King of Pops as a franchise-expanding, experiential frozen-dessert brand targeting similar event catering and younger consumer occasions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kingofpops
• Facebookfacebook.com/kingofpops
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/king-of-pops

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 King of Pops