Scoops Ice Cream

What Scoops Ice Cream does

Scoops Ice Cream is a privately held, franchised neighborhood ice cream and confectionery retailer headquartered in the Covington, GA area, founded in 2003 by Susan Kirk — a former buyer for WH Smith and Macy's — in downtown Madison, Georgia. The company sells a curated in-store experience anchored on 32 flavors of ice cream, supplemented by hand-crafted chocolates, hand-dipped caramel apples (Granny Smith apples in caramel with toppings), and a "Willy Wonka-style" nostalgic candy wall with bulk candies sold by the pound, alongside novelty toys and gifts.

The business model is franchise-licensed retail. Prospective franchisees contact the company through a dedicated franchise program (contact: Paul Marmol, 404-569-3999) and operate physical storefronts in downtown areas; the corporate entity provides training, support, and brand standards. Revenue is generated point-of-sale at franchise stores; the company also derives corporate-level revenue from franchise fees, royalties, and wholesale supply. The company does not operate a digital ordering or delivery platform, has no app, and does not disclose APIs, proprietary technology, or AI capabilities.

The footprint is 17 stores as of the latest available data: 16 in Georgia (Madison, Acworth, Clarkesville, Dalton, Fayetteville, LaGrange, Sugar Hill, McDonough, Watkinsville, Americus, Covington, Dublin, Forsyth, Lyons, Monroe, Swainsboro, Zebulon) and 1 in Texas (Fulshear). Marketing is conducted primarily through per-location organic Facebook and Instagram accounts plus the corporate scoopsicecream.com website. Corporate headcount is reported at 11–50, and the company is bootstrapped with no institutional funding or parent holding company.

Name

Scoops Ice Cream

Legal name

Scoops Ice Cream

Website

https://scoopsicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scoops Ice Cream is a privately held, franchised neighborhood ice cream and confectionery retailer founded in 2003 by Susan Kirk in Madison, GA, operating 17 stores across Georgia and Texas that sell 32 flavors of ice cream alongside handmade chocolates, caramel apples, and nostalgic bulk candies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Ice Cream & Confectionery Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD), Candy & Specialty Sweets Stores (THAFAGAH)

Keywords

• Ice cream retail
• Handmade chocolates
• Franchise opportunities
• Novelty candy stores
• Frozen desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Covington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream and Confections Sales: Revenue generated from direct retail sales of ice cream, handcrafted chocolates, caramel apples, novelty candies, and novelty items/toys at physical storefront locations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Scoops Ice Cream produces and sells premium ice cream, handcrafted chocolates, hand-dipped caramel apples, and nostalgic/novelty candies through franchise-owned physical retail storefronts. The company operates 17 locations across Georgia and Texas, offering 32 flavors of ice cream alongside a Willy Wonka-style candy wall with bulk candies sold by the pound, plus toys and gifts.

Product overview

Scoops Ice Cream is a franchise ice cream parlor chain offering a unified retail experience centered around 32 flavors of ice cream as the core product, complemented by in-house handmade chocolates, hand dipped caramel apples, and a Willy Wonka-style candy wall. The company operates 16+ retail locations across Georgia and Texas, with franchise opportunities available for entrepreneurs. The product portfolio is unified under the Scoops brand, where ice cream, chocolates, candies, and franchise ownership represent different facets of the same neighborhood ice cream shop experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 32 Flavors of Ice Cream 32 flavors of premium ice cream made with love and the finest ingredients, ranging from classic vanilla to adventurous combinations, sold to walk-in retail customers at Scoops storefronts.
• Hand Crafted Chocolates Handmade chocolates crafted in-house with rich flavors and delightful textures in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and unique varieties infused with fun ingredients, sold to retail customers seeking premium confections.
• Hand Dipped Caramel Apples Hand-dipped caramel apples made with juicy, crisp Granny Smith apples coated in luscious caramel, offered with traditional toppings like nuts and chocolates or whimsical options, targeted at retail customers and gift buyers.
• Candy and Novelty Treats An expansive assortment of nostalgic and novelty candies featuring a Willy Wonka-style candy wall with bulk candies sold by the pound, along with toys and gifts, targeted at families, gift-givers, and treat-seekers.
• Scoops Franchise Franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs to own and operate a Scoops Ice Cream retail store, including dedicated training, ongoing support, and a proven mom-and-pop neighborhood retail concept featuring ice cream, chocolates, and nostalgic candies.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dairy Queen: Dairy Queen operates one of the largest franchised ice cream and fast-food networks in the U.S., offering soft-serve and Blizzard treats. It competes with Scoops on impulse ice cream occasions, particularly in small-town markets.
• Baskin-Robbins: Baskin-Robbins is the largest U.S. ice cream franchise chain with 31 flavors and a global footprint. It is comparable to Scoops as a franchised scoop shop targeting families and impulse dessert occasions, though it operates at vastly greater scale.
• Häagen-Dazs Shops: Häagen-Dazs operates franchised scoop shops and cafés in malls and urban locations. It compares to Scoops as a premium franchised ice cream retail experience, though it targets higher-density urban and mall traffic versus Scoops' small-town downtowns.

Direct peers

• Graeter's: Graeter's is a regional U.S. ice cream brand with both scoop shops and retail pint distribution, emphasizing handcrafted premium ice cream. It compares to Scoops as a brand whose identity rests on premium, handcrafted ice cream and a neighborhood-shop feel.
• MaggieMoo's: MaggieMoo's is a smaller franchise ice cream chain focused on premium and mix-in ice cream creations. It is comparable to Scoops as a niche franchised scoop-shop concept competing for similar franchisee talent and family customers.
• Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores: Braum's operates a vertically integrated chain of ice cream and dairy stores concentrated in the south-central U.S. It is comparable to Scoops as a multi-product dessert and dairy retail concept with a regional footprint in smaller markets.
• Marble Slab Creamery: Marble Slab Creamery is a franchised premium ice cream chain that emphasizes mix-in customization, similar to Cold Stone. It is comparable to Scoops as a franchised scoop shop targeting premium dessert consumers.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Cold Stone Creamery is a franchise ice cream chain specializing in customized mix-ins on a frozen stone. It competes directly with Scoops for family dessert occasions and franchisee entrepreneurs, though with a more standardized national brand identity.
• Kilwins: Kilwins is a franchise-based chocolates and ice cream retailer with a similar nostalgic, old-fashioned shop concept. Scoops' combination of hand-crafted chocolates, hand-dipped caramel apples, and ice cream closely mirrors Kilwins' product mix and small-town store positioning.

Others

• Insomnia Cookies: Insomnia Cookies is a franchise-adjacent specialty sweets retailer with late-night delivery and gifting positioning. While not a direct ice cream competitor, it shares with Scoops a focus on indulgent treats, gifts, and franchise-driven expansion in college towns and secondary markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scoops-ice-cream

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 Scoops Ice Cream