Whit’s Frozen Custard

What Whit’s Frozen Custard does

Whit’s Frozen Custard is a U.S. frozen custard retailer founded in 2003 and headquartered in Westerville, Ohio. The company produces and sells fresh frozen custard through a network of company-owned and franchise storefronts across approximately ten states in the Southeast and Midwest (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia). The core product line is intentionally narrow: always-available vanilla and chocolate custard, a rotating Flavor of the Week (with daily flavors at select locations), and proprietary specialty formats branded as Whitsers (blended custard with toppings) and Whitties (custard sandwiched between cookies), supplemented by shakes, sundaes, floats, and gift cards.

The underlying operating technology is straightforward food production — daily fresh custard preparation at each store — supported by a centrally managed brand and marketing layer via the company website (whitsfrozencustard.com), which functions as a menu/locations/flavors hub and routes gift card purchases to a third-party secure platform (whitscustard.securetree.com). The central organization is lean (11–50 employees), consistent with a franchisor whose economic engine is the spread of independent-operated retail units rather than direct operation of every outlet.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail through franchise-operated physical storefronts, monetized via in-store custard sales, gift card sales, and franchise-level economics (royalty streams and franchisee onboarding through the “Own A Whit’s” program at ownawhits.com). The primary customer segment is individual consumers seeking an affordable, premium-but-accessible frozen dessert experience, with the value proposition anchored on fresh daily preparation, rotating flavors, and unique specialty items that differentiate Whit’s from conventional ice cream competitors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Growth is signaled by the chain’s independent identification as a contributor to the ~108,000 jobs added to the U.S. restaurant industry in 2025.

Name

Whit’s Frozen Custard

Legal name

Whit’s Frozen Custard

Website

https://whitscustard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whit’s Frozen Custard is a U.S. frozen custard chain founded in 2003 (Westerville, Ohio) that retails fresh frozen custard and proprietary items (Whitsers, Whitties) through franchise-operated storefronts across roughly ten states, serving everyday consumers seeking affordable premium dessert.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Custard Restaurant

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen Custard Manufacturing (AFAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Frozen custard products
• Frozen dessert retail
• Franchise restaurant chain
• Ice cream treats
• Scoops and shakes

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Frozen Custard Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of fresh frozen custard and related products including scoops, shakes, sundaes, floats, and specialty items like Whitsers (blended custard with toppings) and Whitties (custard sandwiched between cookies).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Whit's Frozen Custard manufactures and retails fresh frozen custard at physical storefronts. The menu centers on always-available vanilla and chocolate scoops, a rotating Flavor of the Week (with some locations offering a daily flavor), and proprietary specialty items: Whitsers (custard blended with toppings), Whitties (custard sandwiched between two cookies), shakes, sundaes, and floats. Distribution is via a multi-state franchise network of retail stores with supporting online gift card sales.

Product overview

Whit's Frozen Custard operates as a frozen custard restaurant chain offering a focused menu of frozen custard treats. The core offering consists of always-available vanilla and chocolate custard, supplemented by a rotating Flavor of the Week. The product portfolio includes specialty items: Whitsers (blended custard with toppings), Whitties (custard cookie sandwiches), Shakes (custard-based milkshakes), Sundaes (custard with customizable toppings), and Floats (custard with soda). The chain operates franchise locations across multiple U.S. states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. The company also offers gift cards through a third-party platform and franchise opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vanilla Custard Classic vanilla frozen custard scoop, always available at all Whit's locations.
• Chocolate Custard Classic chocolate frozen custard scoop, always available at all Whit's locations.
• Flavor of the Week Rotating specialty custard flavor announced weekly at most locations, with some locations also offering a daily flavor option.
• Whitsers Proprietary blended frozen custard treat combining custard and toppings mixed together into a smoothie-like consistency.
• Whitties Proprietary cookie sandwich made with two cookies filled with custard in between.
• Shakes Frozen custard blended with milk and various toppings to create a milkshake-style beverage.
• Sundaes One or more scoops of custard topped with customizable toppings of the customer's choice.
• Floats Vanilla custard mixed with a soda of the customer's choice.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase, powered by a third-party platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1% payroll growth contribution as key contributing chain to 2025 U.S. restaurant industry job expansion

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 indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Andy's Frozen Custard: Andy's is a multi-state frozen custard chain operating across the Midwest and South, offering a near-identical menu of custard scoops, concretes (similar to Whitsers), and sundaes. It is the most directly comparable frozen-custard franchise peer to Whit's.
• Culver's: Culver's is a major Midwest-rooted quick-service chain built around frozen custard alongside burgers and entrées, with significantly broader geographic reach and brand recognition than Whit's.
• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: Freddy's combines frozen custard with a savory menu and operates a multi-state franchise system across the Midwest, South, and Southwest — a similar dual-concept franchise model to Whit's but at substantially larger scale.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Cold Stone is a national franchise ice cream chain whose mix-in concept is functionally analogous to Whit's Whitsers blended-custard offering, with similar franchise economics and category positioning.
• Graeter's: Graeter's is a Midwest-based premium ice cream chain with franchise retail locations, comparable in regional brand positioning and product premiumization angle to Whit's.
• Marble Slab Creamery: Marble Slab is a franchise ice cream concept built around made-to-order frozen desserts, directly comparable to Whit's in product format (scoops, mix-ins, sundaes) and franchise-led growth model.
• Rita's Italian Ice: Rita's is a multi-state frozen-dessert franchise chain (Italian ice and custard) competing in similar impulse-treat occasions, with a comparable franchise footprint and product line that includes frozen custard.
• Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores: Braum's is a regional ice cream, frozen dessert, and dairy-focused restaurant chain concentrated in the South-Central U.S., competing in similar frozen-custard and ice cream occasions with a comparable fresh-daily positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dairy Queen: Dairy Queen is the dominant national soft-serve and Blizzard-focused chain with thousands of U.S. locations, serving similar impulse frozen-dessert occasions but with far broader menu breadth and brand reach.
• Baskin-Robbins: Baskin-Robbins is the largest U.S. specialty ice cream chain with broad national distribution, competing for the same "affordable frozen indulgence" occasions as Whit's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whitscustard
• Facebookfacebook.com/WhitsFrozenCustard.Headquarters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whits-frozen-custard-of-westerville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Whit’s Frozen Custard