Carmela Ice Cream

What Carmela Ice Cream does

Carmela Ice Cream is a private, founder-owned artisan ice cream company founded in 2007 by Jessica Mortarotti. The company pioneered a farm-to-table approach to ice cream, starting at Los Angeles farmers' markets and growing into two retail storefronts in Pasadena and Palm Springs, California, complemented by nationwide direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipping via Shopify, a regional ice cream catering service using a vintage truck and push cart, and seasonal ice cream-making classes taught by the founder.

Its core product is small-batch, seasonal artisan ice cream and sorbet made from scratch in small batches using whole milk, heavy cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks, with ingredients sourced from local farmers and dairies. The product portfolio comprises rotating seasonal pints (Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Lavender Honey, Mint Cacao Nib, Dark Chocolate Cacao Nib, Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Buttermilk), dairy-free sorbet pints (Raspberry Rose Sorbet, Chocolate Sorbet, Lemon Basil Sorbet), a dozen-pack of house-made ice cream sandwiches, and experiential classes. Products are free of preservatives, artificial colorings, stabilizers, emulsifiers, high-fructose corn syrup, and seed oils. The cold chain for DTC is supported by insulated containers with dry ice enabling next-day delivery to all 50 states.

Revenue is generated through four streams: in-store pint and sandwich sales at two retail locations (unit pricing at $15/pint), nationwide e-commerce pint pack sales (6-8 pint minimum orders), event catering for weddings and corporate clients across Los Angeles and Palm Springs ($125/dozen sandwich box and bespoke event pricing), and ticketed ice cream classes at $149 per person. The customer base is overwhelmingly individual consumers, with event hosts as a secondary mid-market segment. The company has earned multiple accolades, including Bon Appetit Magazine's 'Best Ice Cream in the Nation' designation and 2-time LA Magazine wins for Best Ice Cream and Best Sorbet.

Name

Carmela Ice Cream

Legal name

Carmela Ice Cream

Website

https://carmelaicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carmela Ice Cream is a private, founder-owned artisan ice cream maker founded in 2007 that produces small-batch, farm-to-table ice cream and sorbet at two Southern California retail locations, ships nationwide via e-commerce, and offers catering and ice cream-making classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511)

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 & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA), Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Small batch desserts
• Farm-to-table confections
• Premium frozen treats
• Direct-to-consumer shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Ice Cream & Sorbet Pint Sales: E-commerce storefront selling individual pints of seasonal ice cream and sorbet for nationwide home delivery in packs of 6-8 pints. One-time transaction-based purchases.
2. Ice Cream Sandwich Catering & Bulk Orders: Sale of dozen ice cream sandwiches (12-count boxes) and catering services featuring a restored vintage ice cream truck or push cart for events. Available in LA and Palm Springs areas.
3. Ice Cream Classes: Seasonal hands-on ice cream and sorbet making classes taught by founder Jessica Mortarotti at the Pasadena creamery, priced at $149 per person with demonstration, tastings, and a pint of each flavor to take home.
4. Retail Storefront Sales: Brick-and-mortar sales at two retail locations in Pasadena and Palm Springs, CA, offering the full flavor menu including seasonal varieties, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches on-site.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carmela Ice Cream manufactures and sells small-batch, seasonal artisan ice cream and sorbet pints made completely from scratch using whole milk, heavy cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks infused with local and seasonal produce, herbs, and spices. Products are sold through two retail storefronts in Pasadena and Palm Springs, CA, nationwide e-commerce shipping in 6-8 pint packs via Shopify with dry-ice cold-chain packaging, event catering using a vintage ice cream truck and push cart, and seasonal ice cream-making classes.

Product overview

Carmela Ice Cream is a farm-to-table artisan ice cream company offering small-batch, seasonal ice creams and sorbets made completely from scratch using fresh, real ingredients. The product portfolio centers on artisan ice cream pints and sorbet pints in rotating seasonal flavors, complemented by a dozen ice cream sandwiches product. The company operates two retail locations (Pasadena and Palm Springs, California) and an online creamery with nationwide shipping in packs of 6-8 pints. Additional offerings include ice cream catering services with vintage equipment and seasonal ice cream making classes taught by the founder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisan Ice Cream Pints Small-batch, seasonal artisan ice cream made from scratch in small batches using fresh, real ingredients, available in rotating seasonal flavors such as Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Lavender Honey, Mint Cacao Nib, Dark Chocolate Cacao Nib, Cookies & Cream, and Strawberry Buttermilk. Sold individually for $15 per pint and shipped nationwide in packs of 6-8 pints.
• Artisan Sorbet Pints

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner of LA Mag's Best of LA 2014 for Best Sorbet (Raspberry Rose Sorbet)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Farmers and Dairies (Pasadena/Southern California)coreOthersCarmela works directly with local farmers and dairies to source ingredients, supporting the local economy and enabling the farm-to-table artisan approach. Ingredients sourced include organic produce from farmers' markets, local dairy for milk and cream, and seasonal herbs and spices. This is the foundational supply chain relationship underpinning the brand's core value proposition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Portland-based artisan ice cream chain with multiple retail locations and pint shipping; competes directly with Carmela for premium, flavor-forward, scoop-shop customers.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: NYC-born premium ice cream brand with national scoop-shop footprint and DTC pint shipping; comparable to Carmela on premium positioning and omnichannel retail plus e-commerce model.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Columbus-based artisan ice cream maker operating scoop shops and nationwide pint shipping; the closest comparable to Carmela in positioning (small-batch, seasonal, scoop-shop plus DTC) and target consumer.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: California-based small-batch ice cream maker with retail scoop shops and DTC shipping; most direct regional comparable to Carmela given shared California roots and similar farm-to-table sourcing ethos.
• Ample Hills Creamery: Brooklyn-based artisan ice cream maker with scoop shops and DTC pints; comparable small-batch, flavor-driven positioning to Carmela with similar omnichannel mix.
• Coolhaus: Los Angeles-based artisan ice cream and ice cream sandwich brand with retail and DTC; directly comparable on LA geography, sandwich product, and premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Dairy cooperative with expanding premium ice cream line sold through grocery and foodservice; competes for the same premium grocery dollar with greater capital and distribution scale.
• Häagen-Dazs: Established premium ice cream brand owned by General Mills with broad grocery, scoop shop, and café distribution; overlaps with Carmela in the premium ice cream consumer segment but operates at vastly larger scale and portfolio breadth.

Emerging players

• Republic of Booza: Los Angeles-based Lebanese-style stretch ice cream concept with a single retail shop; emerging premium frozen-dessert player in the same SoCal market with adjacent but distinct product format.

Regional players

• Mitchell's Ice Cream: Long-standing San Francisco artisan ice cream maker with multiple Bay Area scoop shops; regional California competitor that shares the artisan, family-run character of Carmela without competing directly in Southern California.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carmelaicecream
• Instagraminstagram.com/carmelaicecream
• TikToktiktok.com/place/Carmela-Ice-Cream-21568295365881387
• Xx.com/CarmelaIceCream
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carmela-ice-cream-company

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 Carmela Ice Cream