Loblolly Creamery

What Loblolly Creamery does

Loblolly Creamery, LLC is a privately held, small-batch handcrafted ice cream maker founded in 2011 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, operating in the consumer Food & Beverage sector. The company produces all of its ice cream from a scratch-made base using 13–15% butterfat, with virtually all mix-ins, toppings, waffle cones, baked goods, marshmallows, and ice cream cakes made in-house — no premixes, preservatives, or artificial stabilizers are used. Its product line spans over 30 rotating handcrafted flavors, including vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, plus adjacent SKUs such as hot cocoa mixes and small-batch marshmallows; production capacity is centralized at a downtown Little Rock production kitchen.

The company's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer retail through three (soon four) company-owned scoop shops in Little Rock (SOMA and Hillcrest) and Benton, Arkansas, with a solar-powered vintage ice cream truck serving weddings, corporate events, festivals, and private parties within ~20 miles of downtown Little Rock, plus an event drop-off catering line. Revenue streams include in-shop scoop/cone/sundae sales, take-home pints, online ordering for pickup and local delivery, nationwide shipping of pints, shop-party venue rentals at the Benton and Hillcrest locations, an ice cream cake line, and wholesale distribution of pints and tubs to Arkansas retailers plus national distribution of hot cocoa/marshmallows via Faire Market. A tiered loyalty program (1 star per $1 spent) supports retail repeat visits. Pricing is unit-based: $4–$8 per scoop serving, $150/hour + per-person for the truck, $59–$342 for wedding drop-off catering, and $25–$100/hour for shop-party rentals.

Differentiators include the "no-yucky-stuff" clean-label positioning, eight-plus named local Arkansas sourcing partnerships (Rock Town Distillery, Barnhill Orchards, Fidel & Co. Coffee, Fischer Honey, York Pecan Company, Ozark Nut Roasters, The Firelight Farm), Certified Green Restaurant status with the City of Little Rock, and a 208-panel community solar lease generating ~650 kWh/day. The customer base is anchored in individual consumers and families (primary), with secondary segments in event/wedding hosts and small wholesale retail partners — all within a single-region (Central Arkansas) operating geography despite nascent national shipping and wholesale reach. Headcount is in the 11–50 employee band, with active kitchen production hiring at $15–$18/hour.

Name

Loblolly Creamery

Legal name

Loblolly Creamery, LLC

Website

https://loblollycreamery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Loblolly Creamery is a privately held Little Rock, Arkansas-based small-batch ice cream maker operating three scoop shops (soon four) plus a solar-powered catering truck, wholesale, and e-commerce; it serves local consumers and event hosts with scratch-made, 13–15% butterfat ice cream and vegan/dairy-free/gluten-free options, sourcing ingredients from named Arkansas farms and producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA), Ice Cream & Frozen Dairy Wholesale (AFAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Handcrafted ice cream
• Artisan frozen desserts
• Scoop shop retail
• Ice cream catering
• Small batch production

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Scoop Shop Sales: Direct sales of handcrafted ice cream, soft serve, baked goods, hot cocoa, and specialty beverages at three physical shop locations. Customers can order single scoops, cones, sundaes, shakes, and pre-packaged items like pints and baked goods for take-home.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk ice cream sales to retail partners including pints, retail cups, and tubs for dipping cabinets. Also includes wholesale hot cocoa mixes and marshmallows in both bulk and retail packaging, available locally or shipped nationwide.
3. Event Catering: Ice cream truck rental for weddings, corporate events, festivals, and private parties. Includes hourly truck rental fees plus per-person product charges. Also offers drop-off catering with pre-packaged ice cream cups, gallons, and baked goods.
4. Shop Party Rentals: Revenue from renting shop spaces at Benton and Hillcrest locations for private events including birthday parties, baby showers. Includes hourly rental fees plus food and beverage minimums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Loblolly Creamery manufactures small-batch, from-scratch handcrafted ice cream from a proprietary 13-15% butterfat base, sold through three company-owned scoop shops in Little Rock and Benton, Arkansas, plus event catering, online ordering, and wholesale distribution. The menu extends beyond ice cream to soft serve, ice cream cakes, baked goods, hot cocoa mixes, and marshmallows, with vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options across the catalog.

Product overview

Loblolly Creamery is a Little Rock, Arkansas-based handcrafted ice cream company operating a multi-location retail and catering business. The core product portfolio centers on small-batch, from-scratch handcrafted ice cream featuring over 30 signature and seasonal flavors made with a 13% butterfat base, complemented by vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options. The company offers soft serve at its Hillcrest location and an extensive line of house-made baked goods (brownies, oatmeal cream pies) and ice cream cakes. Adjacent products include handcrafted hot cocoa mixes and marshmallows, with seasonal availability. The business extends through experiential services including a solar-powered ice cream truck for events and catering, wedding catering, shop party rentals, wholesale distribution of pints and bulk ice cream, and hot cocoa catering (winter-only). A loyalty program supports retail customer retention across three physical shop locations in Little Rock and Benton, Arkansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Ice Cream (Signature Flavors) Small-batch handcrafted ice cream made from scratch with a 13-15% butterfat base, featuring over 30 signature and seasonal flavors including vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options. Sold at scoop shops and via online ordering.
• Soft Serve Ice Cream Handcrafted soft serve ice cream served straight from the churn at the Hillcrest location, featuring 4-6 flavors with twist options and homemade toppings.
• Ice Cream Cakes House-made ice cream cakes featuring layers of cake and ice cream topped with chocolate ganache. Available in Classic, Cookies & Cream, Turtle, and seasonal flavors, with vegan and gluten-free options.
• Baked Goods House-made baked goods including fudgy brownies and oatmeal cream pies with buttercream filling, available in shops or by pre-order.
• Hot Cocoa Mix Handcrafted hot cocoa mixes in Classic (dairy-free/vegan), Unicorn White Chocolate, and seasonal Peppermint flavors, sold retail and via wholesale shipping.
• Marshmallows Small-batch handcrafted marshmallows in Vanilla, Rainbow, Bourbon (Rock Town Distillery bourbon-infused), Peppermint, and seasonal flavors, sold retail and via wholesale shipping.
• Ice Cream Truck Catering Solar-powered ice cream truck rental for weddings, corporate events, festivals, and private parties in Central Arkansas (up to 20 miles from downtown Little Rock), with 6 flavor options including dairy-free choices.
• Wedding Catering Ice cream catering services for weddings including truck rental or drop-off options, featuring custom flavors, sundae bar setups, gallons, and cases of pre-packaged 5oz cups.
• Shop Party Rentals Private party venue rentals at the Benton and Hillcrest scoop shop locations for birthdays, baby showers, and other celebrations, with hourly shop and patio rental plus food and beverage minimums.
• Hot Cocoa Catering Winter-only hot cocoa catering featuring Hot Cocoa Travelers (12 servings in carafe) and Full Hot Cocoa Bars (36 servings with marshmallows and toppings).
• Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of ice cream in pints, retail cups, and bulk tubs for dipping cabinets, plus hot cocoa mixes and marshmallows, delivered locally to Arkansas retail partners or shipped nationally via Faire Market.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rock Town DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas bourbon distillery providing bourbon for Loblolly's Bourbon Pecan ice cream flavor and Bourbon Marshmallows. Featured in collaborative flavor development.
• Barnhill OrchardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas farm providing strawberries for seasonal Strawberry Buttermilk ice cream flavor.
• Fidel & Co. CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Little Rock coffee roaster providing coffee beans for the Morning Brew ice cream flavor and cold brew for shakes and affogatos.
• Fischer HoneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal honey provider used in ice cream base recipes for sweetening.
• York Pecan CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas pecan supplier used in Rocky Road, Bourbon Pecan, and other nut-based flavors.
• Ozark Nut RoasterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOzark-region nut roaster providing Salted Caramel Cashews for the Ozark Caramel Cashew ice cream flavor.
• The Firelight FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm providing fresh mint for the Fresh Mint Chip seasonal flavor.
• Little Rock Community Solar PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared solar farm partnership with six local businesses and residences sharing a solar farm 10 miles south of downtown Little Rock. Loblolly leases 208 solar panels generating approximately 650 kWh/day.
• Mosaic Templar Cultural CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas heritage organization featured in flavor inspiration for the Maple Leaf Ragtime flavor.
• The Mighty RibminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas restaurant collaborating on The Mighty Peach ice cream cake, with proceeds benefiting Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Ample Hills Creamery: Ample Hills is a direct peer operating small-batch scoop shops with a story-driven, locally-flavored brand. Comparable to Loblolly in shop-based retail, premium pricing, and artisanal positioning, though with a more urban footprint.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Van Leeuwen is a direct peer with a similar playbook: scoop shops, premium pints in national grocery, and vegan/dairy-free options positioned as a luxury everyday treat. Comparable in product mix, dietary-inclusivity positioning, and wholesale-plus-retail channel strategy.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: McConnell's is a direct peer running scoop shops with a small-batch, from-scratch production philosophy, locally-sourced dairy, and expanding wholesale pint distribution. Closely mirrors Loblolly's emphasis on premium ingredients, local partners, and direct-to-consumer plus grocery channels.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Salt & Straw is a direct peer operating scoop shops and wholesale pint distribution with a strong local-sourcing, story-driven brand identity similar to Loblolly. Both target premium pricing via chef-inspired flavors and direct relationships with farmers and artisan producers.
• Humphry Slocombe: Humphry Slocombe is a direct peer — a small-batch, unconventional-flavor ice cream maker with scoop shops and wholesale pint distribution. Comparable in premium positioning, signature rotating flavors, and the boutique multi-shop footprint that Loblolly aspires to scale.
• Coolhaus: Coolhaus is a direct peer — a small-batch premium ice cream brand with scoop shops, ice cream truck catering for events, and national grocery wholesale. The mobile catering component especially parallels Loblolly's ice cream truck rental offering.
• Graeter's Ice Cream: Graeter's is a direct peer — a multi-generational, small-batch premium ice cream maker with scoop shops, a strong regional grocery wholesale footprint, and a French-pot process that parallels Loblolly's scratch-made, no-artificial-stabilizer approach.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni's is a direct peer — a premium, small-batch ice cream maker with multiple scoop shops, a robust wholesale pint business in grocery, and nationally distributed flavors. Both brands emphasize scratch-made production, unique flavor collaborations, and a direct-to-consumer retail plus wholesale model.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bell Creameries: Blue Bell is a broad incumbent — a much larger, established ice cream manufacturer with deep regional grocery distribution across the South. Comparable as a competitor in wholesale pint channels but operates at vastly greater scale and with a more mass-market positioning.
• Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is a broad incumbent — a globally recognized premium-ish ice cream brand with scoop shops, national pint distribution, and a values-driven brand identity. Comparable on flavor experimentation and shop-based retail, though owned by Unilever and operating at massive scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/loblollycreamery
• Xx.com/weloveloblolly
• Facebookfacebook.com/LoblollyCreamery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loblolly-creamery

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Loblolly Creamery