Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company

What Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company does

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company is a family-owned super-premium ice cream manufacturer and retailer founded in 1962 in Madison, Wisconsin, now in its second generation of Deadman-family stewardship (Chuck Jr. and Dave Deadman). The company operates three primary revenue channels: nine company-owned retail shoppes concentrated in the Madison metro area, a wholesale distribution program that ships 3-gallon cartons of super-premium ice cream to 800+ independent scoop shops and restaurants across 26+ states, and direct-to-consumer pint shipping through a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront. It also runs a mobile catering operation serving 250+ events annually in the greater Madison area, including high-traffic venues such as Camp Randall Stadium and the Alliant Energy Center.

The core product is super-premium ice cream formulated with a 14% butterfat mix and 35-40% overrun, manufactured at the company's east-side Madison production facility, which expanded in 2022 to include a dedicated mix pasteurizing and processing room. The portfolio spans 74+ standard ice cream flavors, 14 non-dairy/vegan varieties (oat cream and Italian ice platforms), and 4 no-sugar-added or sherbet options, all produced with Wisconsin dairy sourced through a partnership with Sassy Cow Creamery. Production is managed on the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform implemented by Rockwell Automation, which the company reports has delivered 95% inventory accuracy, an 18% reduction in raw material inventory, and 3-4 hours per day in labor savings. The company holds 17+ registered flavor trademarks and a substantial industry award record, including a first-ever three-peat of the Grand Master Ice Cream Maker award from the North American Ice Cream Association.

The business model is a hybrid of physical retail, B2B wholesale, and DTC e-commerce built on a single production base. Customer segmentation spans individual consumers (in-shoppe and pint shipping), independent food-service operators who use the Chocolate Shoppe brand as a product-differentiation lever against mass-market competitors, and event clients served through catering. Pricing is unit-based across all channels; wholesale and catering are quote-based while in-shoppe retail pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has remained privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent companies, or institutional ownership.

Name

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company

Legal name

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Inc.

Website

https://chocolateshoppeicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Super-Premium Ice Cream Manufacturing

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC), Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA), Lactose-Free Dairy Frozen Desserts Manufacturing (AFAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Super-premium ice cream
• Handcrafted frozen desserts
• Wholesale ice cream distribution
• Ice cream manufacturing
• Specialty dairy products

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: Direct sales through 9 company-owned Madison-area shoppes where customers purchase ice cream cones, dishes, and cakes. Also includes catering services for events.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of 3-gallon super-premium ice cream cartons to independent scoop shops and restaurants nationwide, supplying over 800 locations.
3. E-commerce/Pint Shipping: Online ordering of pints shipped directly to consumers via shop.chocolateshoppeicecream.com (Shopify platform).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company manufactures and sells super-premium ice cream (14% butterfat, 35-40% overrun) made with Wisconsin dairy and cane sugar across 74+ flavors plus vegan and no-sugar-added varieties. Products are distributed through nine company-owned retail shoppes in the Madison, WI area, wholesale supply to 800+ independent scoop shops and restaurants across 26+ states, direct-to-consumer pint shipping, and mobile catering services for events.

Product overview

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company is a family-owned super-premium ice cream manufacturer and retailer founded in 1962 in Madison, Wisconsin. The company operates a unified product portfolio centered on super-premium ice cream (14% butterfat, 35-40% overrun) made with Wisconsin dairy and cane sugar. The core offering includes 74+ super-premium ice cream flavors alongside 14 vegan/non-dairy alternatives (oat cream and Italian ice) and 4 no-sugar-added/sherbet options. These products are sold through multiple channels: nine Madison-area retail shoppes, a wholesale program distributing 3-gallon cartons to independent businesses nationwide, direct-to-consumer pint shipping, catering services for events (250+ events annually), and custom cake orders. The company holds numerous awards from the World Dairy Expo, LA International Dairy Competition, and North American Ice Cream Association, including three consecutive Grand Master Ice Cream Maker awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Super-Premium Ice Cream Handcrafted ice cream with 14% butterfat and 35-40% overrun (less air than standard ice cream), producing a richer, creamier, smoother texture. Made with Wisconsin dairy and cane sugar since 1962.
• Super-Premium Ice Cream Flavors (74 varieties) 74 super-premium ice cream flavors including classics like Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, and Strawberry, plus signature flavors such as Zanzibar Chocolate, Moose Tracks, Cookie Dough, and seasonal varieties.
• Vegan/Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts Non-dairy frozen desserts including 7 Non-Dairy Oat Cream varieties (Black Cherry, Blue Moon, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie, Mint Oreo, Ultimate Oreo, Vanilla Chocolate Chip, Vanilla) and 7 Italian Ice flavors (Carrot Mango, Electric Watermelon, Kiwi, Lemon, Passion Fruit, Raspberry Lemon, Strawberry Hibiscus).
• No Sugar Added Ice Cream & Sherbet

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% inventory accuracy - 27% improvement after Plex implementation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rockwell AutomationcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 April 2026Rockwell Automation implemented the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform for Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, replacing legacy manual production tracking systems. The platform achieved 95% inventory accuracy (27% improvement), reduced raw material inventory by 18%, and cut inventory management work by 3-4 hours per day. Provides instantaneous traceability and real-time production visibility.
• Sassy Cow CreameryminorOthersPartnership with the Baerwolf family to source milk from pasture-raised cows of Sassy Cow Creamery, supporting the company's commitment to quality Wisconsin dairy ingredients.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium scoop-shop and DTC pint brand known for inventive flavors including vegan and dairy-alternative lines — direct overlap with Chocolate Shoppe's super-premium and plant-based portfolios.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Super-premium artisan ice cream brand operating scoop shops, wholesale, and DTC pint shipping — the closest analog to Chocolate Shoppe's four-channel, flavor-forward model, although at larger national scale.
• Salt & Straw: Craft super-premium ice cream brand with signature flavor IP, scoop-shop retail, and DTC pint shipping; competes in the same premium, story-led positioning as Chocolate Shoppe.
• Graeter's: Family-owned, multi-generation super-premium ice cream maker with company-owned scoop shops, wholesale distribution, and mail-order pints — highly comparable midwestern-origin craft ice cream competitor.

Emerging players

• Ample Hills Creamery: Boutique super-premium ice cream brand with scoop shops and DTC pints; smaller scale than Chocolate Shoppe but competes in the same flavor-led, premium artisanal segment.

Regional players

• Oberweis Dairy: Midwest dairy and ice cream brand based in Illinois with home delivery, scoop shops, and wholesale — comparable midwestern craft-dairy positioning but operating primarily outside Wisconsin.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Unilever-owned super-premium ice cream brand with national grocery, scoop shops, and DTC; the dominant mass-market super-premium incumbent that independent scoop shops stock alongside (or instead of) Chocolate Shoppe.
• Häagen-Dazs: Nestlé-owned super-premium ice cream category originator; competes for premium scoop-shop and retail placement with far greater marketing and distribution depth.
• Blue Bunny (Wells Enterprises): Large U.S. ice cream manufacturer with super-premium and standard lines distributed nationally through foodservice and grocery; supply-chain competitor to Chocolate Shoppe in wholesale accounts.
• Tillamook: Large dairy cooperative with a national super-premium ice cream line sold through grocery and foodservice; represents the scaled competitor at the same super-premium tier Chocolate Shoppe targets via wholesale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chocolateshoppeicecream
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chocolate-shoppe-ice-cream-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/chocolateshoppeicecream

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 Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company