Ruby Jewel

What Ruby Jewel does

Ruby Jewel is a Portland, Oregon-based, founder-owned manufacturer of premium handcrafted ice cream sandwiches, operating since 2004 from a single production facility dubbed Sandwich City. The company produces a core year-round lineup (The Classic, Lemon Lavender, Chocolate Mint, Salted Caramel, Oatmeal Butterscotch, Strawberry) plus mini multipack formats and seasonal offerings (S'mores, Spiced Pumpkin, Candy Cane, Strawberry Lemon), all built on rBST-free dairy, all-butter cookies, and natural ingredients with no proprietary software or technology platform behind production.

The company distributes through a multi-channel mix: national grocery via Sprouts Farmers Market since 2021, regional Pacific Northwest grocery and Jewel Box branded freezer placements since 2017, foodservice channels (including a co-branded sandwich with Burgerville), direct-to-consumer delivery via DeliveredCold and Instacart, and wholesale email-driven sales to retailers, restaurants, and businesses. Ruby Jewel does not operate an owned e-commerce storefront, and no pricing is publicly disclosed on the company website.

Revenue is generated through one-time retail and wholesale ice cream sandwich sales, with no subscription or recurring contract model. The business is bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds), employs 51-100 people, and is led by founder Lisa Herlinger, with marketing reliant on organic social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), consumer testimonial-driven content on the website, and earned media rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Ruby Jewel

Legal name

Ruby Jewel

Website

https://rubyjewel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ruby Jewel is a Portland, Oregon-based, founder-owned manufacturer of premium handcrafted ice cream sandwiches sold via national grocery (Sprouts), regional Pacific Northwest retail, foodservice, and direct-to-consumer delivery to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Frozen Desserts / Artisanal Ice Cream Sandwiches

NAICS

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

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC), Frozen Bakery Products Manufacturing (AFAKAAAF)

Keywords

• Premium ice cream sandwiches
• Artisan frozen desserts
• Handcrafted novelty ice cream
• Frozen dessert manufacturing
• Grocery freezer desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sandwich Sales: Ruby Jewel generates revenue primarily through the sale of its premium ice cream sandwiches at retail grocery stores (grocery freezer aisle) and through online delivery platforms (DeliveredCold, Instacart). The company also sells wholesale to retailers, restaurants, and businesses across the US via email outreach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ruby Jewel manufactures and sells premium, handcrafted ice cream sandwiches under its own brand, featuring all-butter cookies and rBST-free dairy ice cream in year-round flavors (The Classic, Lemon Lavender, Chocolate Mint, Salted Caramel, Oatmeal Butterscotch, Strawberry) and seasonal varieties. Products reach consumers through grocery freezer aisles (notably Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide plus Pacific Northwest regional grocers), online cold-chain delivery (DeliveredCold, Instacart), and wholesale to retailers and restaurants.

Product overview

Ruby Jewel offers premium artisanal ice cream sandwiches featuring classic and innovative flavor combinations. The product line includes core year-round flavors (The Classic, Lemon Lavender, Chocolate Mint, Salted Caramel, Oatmeal Butterscotch, Strawberry), mini versions of top sellers (The Classic Minis, Lemon Lavender Minis), and seasonal offerings (S'mores for summer, Spiced Pumpkin for autumn). All sandwiches pair fresh-baked cookies with premium ice cream made with rBST-free dairy and natural ingredients. Products are available through retail locations across the US via national distribution partners and online through delivery services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Classic Year-round chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich made with all-butter cookies, delectable chocolate chips, and premium vanilla bean ice cream with natural ingredients; targeted at consumers seeking a premium classic flavor.
• The Classic Minis Smaller version of The Classic featuring chocolate chip cookies and creamy vanilla bean ice cream, sold 3 to a box for snacking or any occasion; designed for portion-controlled or shareable consumption.
• Lemon Lavender Year-round signature flavor featuring lemon lavender ice cream made with honey and lavender oil, balanced with brown sugar cookies; positioned as the original OG farmer's market flavor.
• Lemon Lavender Minis Mini version of the signature Lemon Lavender ice cream sandwich with a flavor profile similar to childhood fruity cereal milk, featuring lavender balanced with honey and lemon; sold as a multi-pack snack format.
• Chocolate Mint Year-round refreshing mint ice cream made with peppermint oil and mint leaves (not artificially colored green) sandwiched between double chocolate chip cookies.
• Salted Caramel Year-round rich and creamy salted caramel ice cream with double chocolate chip cookies delivering sweet and salty indulgence.
• Oatmeal Butterscotch Year-round comforting butterscotch ice cream sandwiched between oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, evoking nostalgia with a warm, snuggly feel.
• Strawberry Year-round strawberry ice cream with strawberry puree blended with fresh baked brown sugar cookies, inspired by the founder's childhood memory of dipping strawberries in sour cream and brown sugar.
• S'mores Summer seasonal ice cream sandwich featuring sweet honey graham ice cream with marshmallows baked into double chocolate cookies, recreating the campfire classic.
• Spiced Pumpkin Autumn seasonal featuring real pumpkin ice cream with pumpkin spices sandwiched between brown sugar cookies, delivering classic PSL flavors.

Quantifiable outcome

• First national distribution through Sprouts Farmers Market achieved in 2021.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sprouts Farmers MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Sprouts Farmers Market is a national natural and organic grocery chain. Ruby Jewel achieved its first national retail distribution through Sprouts in 2021, with Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches appearing in freezer aisles across the United States.
• DeliveredColdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeliveredCold is an online mail-order delivery platform for cold-chain products. Ruby Jewel sells its ice cream sandwiches through the DeliveredCold seller portal, enabling direct-to-consumer delivery across the US.
• InstacartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInstacart is an on-demand delivery platform. Ruby Jewel products are listed on Instacart, enabling same-day delivery to consumers from nearby retail locations where Ruby Jewel is stocked.
• BurgervilleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBurgerville is a Portland, Oregon-based fast-casual restaurant chain. Ruby Jewel partners with Burgerville to offer a gluten-free/dairy-free ice cream sandwich available on Burgerville's dessert menu in Portland, as a complement to Ruby Jewel's own non-vegan product line.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coolhaus: Coolhaus is a premium, architecturally-branded ice cream sandwich company selling through grocery retail and direct-to-consumer channels. It is the closest direct competitor to Ruby Jewel in positioning, channel mix, and product form.
• Salt & Straw: Salt & Straw is a Portland-based, small-batch premium ice cream brand with a strong flavor-innovation ethos and a national retail/wholesale footprint. It is highly comparable on craft positioning, Portland heritage, and grocery expansion strategy.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni's is a premium, direct-to-consumer and grocery-distributed ice cream brand known for distinctive flavors and clean ingredients. Comparable to Ruby Jewel on artisanal positioning, grocery distribution, and flavor-driven marketing.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Van Leeuwen is a premium ice cream brand with national grocery distribution and a vegan line. It mirrors Ruby Jewel's premium, ingredient-led positioning and multi-channel growth trajectory, including a recent Nestlé investment.
• The Baked Bear: The Baked Bear specializes in custom-built ice cream sandwiches using fresh-baked cookies and premium ice cream. While primarily a shop chain, it competes in the same consumer occasion and product format as Ruby Jewel.

Broad incumbents

• Talenti: Talenti is a Unilever-owned gelato and frozen dessert brand with strong US grocery penetration. While not a sandwich brand, it competes for the premium frozen dessert share-of-stomach in the same freezer case.
• Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is a Unilever-owned premium ice cream brand with novelty sandwiches and pints across all major US retailers. It competes for the same premium handheld occasion but with vastly larger marketing and distribution.
• Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs is a global premium ice cream incumbent with established ice cream sandwich and bar SKUs in grocery. It competes with Ruby Jewel in the same freezer aisle but at mass scale and broader portfolio depth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rubyjewel
• Facebookfacebook.com/RubyJewelIcecreamSandwich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ruby-jewel-treats
• Instagraminstagram.com/rubyjewelicecreamsandwich

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ruby Jewel