The Little Man Ice Cream

What The Little Man Ice Cream does

The Little Man Ice Cream Company is a privately held, Denver-based artisanal ice cream operator founded in 2008. The company runs a handcrafted ice cream production operation centered on a 6,000-square-foot production facility called The Factory in Denver, sourcing locally and making its own waffle cones, baked goods, and chocolate confectionery in-house. Its retail footprint spans 11 distinct locations along the Colorado Front Range — including the flagship 28-foot milk can in LoHi, the Factory, neighborhood shops in Central Park, Congress Park (Sweet Cooie's), Englewood, Littleton, Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek North, Park Hill (Dang Soft Serve), Fort Collins (Old Town Churn), and a Denver International Airport concession — each designed as an architecturally distinctive landmark tied to local history.

The business operates across four revenue streams: in-store retail sales (scoops, sundaes, splits, sandwiches, pints, and ice cream cakes), full-service mobile catering within a 2.5-hour radius of Denver for weddings and corporate events, wholesale distribution through the BlueCart platform to independent shops, restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, gas stations, and movie theaters, and event venue rentals at multiple locations with capacities ranging from 30 to 146 guests. Customer segments span individual consumers and families, event hosts and planners, and wholesale business partners. The company supplements this with a Toast Tab-powered loyalty rewards program, live summer music programming, and the Scoop for Scoop philanthropic initiative that donates a portion of each scoop to community causes. The company is independently owned with no disclosed venture or private equity backing and reports a headcount of 11–50 employees.

Name

The Little Man Ice Cream

Legal name

Little Man Ice Cream Company

Website

https://littlemanicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Little Man Ice Cream Company is a privately held Denver-based artisanal ice cream operator founded in 2008, running 11 retail locations across the Colorado Front Range, a wholesale program, mobile catering, and an airport concession, producing handcrafted ice cream at its central Factory facility for individual consumers, event hosts, and wholesale partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Ice Cream

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 & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream (Hard Pack) Manufacturing (AFAHAEAA), Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream retail
• Ice cream wholesale
• Ice cream catering
• Dessert venue rental
• Handcrafted scoop shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: Direct sales of handcrafted ice cream, novelties, sundaes, splits, sandwiches, pints, and ice cream cakes at company-owned retail locations across the Denver Front Range. Customers purchase in-person at storefronts.
2. Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, and private gatherings. The company travels to event locations providing ice cream service with homemade ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Packages include service time up to 2 hours.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk sales of ice cream in pints, quarts, 3-gallon buckets, and 1.5-gallon buckets to independent ice cream shops, restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, gas stations, and movie theaters throughout the Denver-Metro area.
4. Loyalty Program: Rewards program where customers earn points through purchases at Little Man locations. Members receive $5 for joining, $10 on birthdays, and access to exclusive offers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Little Man Ice Cream Company manufactures and sells handcrafted, chef-driven artisanal ice cream from a 6,000-square-foot production facility in Denver, Colorado. The company distributes its products through 11+ company-owned retail storefronts along the Denver Front Range, a wholesale program supplying pints and bulk tubs to independent retailers and restaurants, full-service mobile catering for weddings and corporate events, and venue rentals at multiple locations.

Product overview

The Little Man Ice Cream Company operates a multi-concept ice cream portfolio centered on handcrafted artisanal ice cream since 2008. The core product is their handcrafted ice cream available at 11+ retail locations across the Denver Front Range (LoHi Can, Factory, Central Park, Congress Park, Englewood, Littleton, Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek North, Fort Collins, DIA, and Dang Soft Serve), supplemented by wholesale distribution through BlueCart to independent retailers, restaurants, and gas stations. Related offerings include full-service catering (mobile ice cream service), venue rentals at multiple locations, a loyalty rewards program, and the Scoop for Scoop corporate social responsibility initiative. The company also offers sub-brands including Dang Soft Serve (modern soft serve), Sweet Cooie's (1940s parlor concept), and Old Town Churn (Fort Collins agricultural-themed location), along with wholesale products, e-gift cards, and nutritional information resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Ice Cream (Retail) Artisanal handcrafted ice cream made from locally-sourced ingredients, sold at 11+ retail locations across the Denver Front Range. Offerings include 24+ rotating flavors daily, plus vegan, gluten-free, sorbet, dairy-free, sundaes, splits, sandwiches, pints, and ice cream cakes.
• Dang Soft Serve Sub-brand concept offering soft serve ice cream and "DANG fine fries" in a hyper-modern setting inspired by 80s pop culture, NYC street art, and New Wave rock bands. Located in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood with event capacity of 40.
• Sweet Cooie's (Congress Park) Sub-brand ice cream parlor featuring 1940s-inspired aesthetics, offering handcrafted ice cream, the Gooey Cooie specialty, homemade soups, Brioche Cheesy Melts, and confectionery treats. Event capacity of 55.
• Old Town Churn (Fort Collins) Sub-brand ice cream shop in Fort Collins featuring an oversized architectural ice cream churn landmark, with the city's agricultural roots reflected in the design. Located at 234 N College Ave, Fort Collins CO 80524.
• Little Man Ice Cream Factory (Production Facility & Tasting Room) Production facility and tasting room with Willy Wonka meets Industrial Age design. Houses the ice cream production operations and offers event venue capacity of 146 guests.
• Wholesale Ice Cream Distribution Bulk ice cream distribution program selling pints, quarts, 3-gallon buckets, and 1.5-gallon buckets to wholesale partners. Orders processed through the BlueCart platform. Active recruitment of new wholesale partners via inquiry form.
• Full-Service Ice Cream Catering Full-service catering that brings ice cream experiences directly to weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, and private gatherings. Includes homemade ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. Service time up to 2 hours per package.
• Venue Rentals (Book Our Spaces) Event venue rentals across multiple locations including The Factory (capacity 146), Dang (capacity 40), Sweet Cooie's (capacity 55), Englewood (capacity 60), Littleton (capacity 75), and Greenwood Village (capacity 30). Suitable for weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and corporate events.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold through the Toast Tab platform, usable at any Little Man Ice Cream location.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 retail locations across Denver Front Range plus wholesale distribution to partner businesses
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tastes on the FlyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Tastes on the Fly to operate Little Man Ice Cream location at Denver International Airport (DIA) Concourse C, Gate C 27. Serves travelers with sweet treats and boozy shakes during layovers.
• Innovative Retail GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Innovative Retail Group for DIA airport location operations, complementing the Tastes on the Fly partnership for serving travelers at Denver International Airport.
• BlueCartcoreTechnology or IntegrationBlueCart is used as the wholesale order processing platform. It is a free platform that helps wholesale customers save time and stay organized when ordering Little Man products. Setup takes seconds and orders can be placed quickly through the platform.
• ROWAN (Rural Orphans Widows Aid Network)minorOthersInternational charity partner supported through the Scoop for Scoop program. Little Man has taken team members to visit San Lucas Toliman and Namasale, Uganda to identify programs and projects for Scoop for Scoop fund allocation.
• Far Away Friends UgandaminorOthersInternational charity partner supported through the Scoop for Scoop program, helping support communities in Uganda through fund allocation from ice cream sales.
• LEAST MissionminorOthersInternational charity partner supported through the Scoop for Scoop program, one of the organizations Little Man has collaborated with for global community outreach.
• Independent Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Liquor Stores, Gas Stations, and Movie TheaterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrowing roster of wholesale partners including local indie ice cream shops, restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, gas stations, and movie theaters that carry Little Man products for resale to their customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Columbus-based artisanal ice cream chain with retail scoop shops across multiple US cities and a strong wholesale/pints business. Compares to Little Man on chef-driven recipes, retail storefront format, and direct-to-consumer pints.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: Santa Barbara-based premium ice cream maker with retail scoop shops and wholesale distribution. Comparable to Little Man on small-batch production, in-house manufacturing, and multi-location retail.
• Sweet Rose Creamery: Small-batch artisanal ice cream scoop shop chain in NYC with a strong local brand. Comparable to Little Man on chef-driven flavors, single-metro focus, and premium retail positioning.
• Ample Hills Creamery: Brooklyn-based artisanal ice cream chain with multiple scoop shops. Direct comparability on small-batch, locally-inspired flavors and a multi-store retail model in a major US metro.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium ice cream brand with scoop shops in NYC, LA, and other major metros, plus a heavy DTC pint business. Direct peer on premium positioning, multi-location retail, and trendy aesthetic.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Multi-location artisanal ice cream chain founded in Portland with locations across the West Coast and beyond. Operates scoop shops with a chef-driven, small-batch positioning directly comparable to Little Man's artisanal retail model.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: National super-premium ice cream brand owned by Unilever with broad grocery distribution and franchised scoop shops. Comparable as a larger industry incumbent with overlapping retail and wholesale reach.
• Baskin-Robbins: Large global ice cream chain with broad scoop shop and grocery presence. Comparable as a broader ice cream retail incumbent operating in the same specialty dessert space.
• Cold Stone Creamery: National franchise ice cream chain with thousands of locations. Comparable as a broader scoop shop incumbent with a multi-location retail model, though oriented around mix-ins rather than artisanal sourcing.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global super-premium ice cream brand with national grocery and scoop shop presence. Comparable as a large incumbent operating in the same premium ice cream category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LittleManDenver
• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleManIceCream

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 The Little Man Ice Cream