Sugar Hill Creamery
Sugar Hill Creamery is a Black-owned, woman-led Harlem-based artisanal ice cream company that produces small-batch, culturally-inspired ice cream and operates three Harlem storefronts plus curated pop-ups, nationwide shipping, and corporate catering.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sugar Hill Creamery does
Sugar Hill Creamery is a Black-owned, woman-led artisanal ice cream company founded in 2017 in Harlem, New York, by husband-and-wife co-founders Nick Larsen and Petrushka Bazin Larsen. The company produces small-batch, handmade ice cream — including non-dairy and vegan options — with a signature flavor library that translates Caribbean, Midwestern, and Harlem cultural foods into ice cream (e.g., Habichuelas con Dulce, Guava Quesito, Café Touba, Haitian Hot Chocolate, Sorrel Sorbet) and runs a Harlemites oral-history collaboration program that generates community-sourced flavors. Its product portfolio spans single scoops (starting at $6 including tax), five always-on classic flavors, seasonal rotations, ice cream cakes (6" at $39.95-$42, 8" at $85), gift cards, and party venue rental.
The business operates three permanent Harlem retail storefronts (Central Harlem on Lenox Avenue, West Harlem on Broadway, and East Harlem on Lexington Avenue), plus curated pop-up presences at Brooklyn's Time Out Market DUMBO (since 2021) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing Cafe and Dining Room (since 2022), a seasonal Stuytown ice cream truck (since 2024), and a corporate catering business with a branded tricycle and hot chocolate cart that has served Nike, NBA, Disney, Christian Dior, the New York Times, and other enterprise clients. Distribution is layered across in-store retail, third-party delivery (DoorDash, Seamless, UberEats), direct online ordering (Toast Tab) for pickup/delivery, GoldBelly nationwide shipping, and professional services catering. Operational technology is standard retail-grade (Square for gift cards and payments, Toast Tab for ordering, HoneyBook and Eventbrite for catering/events). Pricing is per-unit for consumer products and custom-quoted for catering, with no subscription or recurring revenue model disclosed.
Revenue figures, institutional funding, and ownership structure are not publicly disclosed beyond an early Kickstarter; the company operates with 1-10 employees and reports no patents, regulatory actions, or M&A activity. Recognition includes TimeOut New York's "Best Ice Cream in New York" (2025), The Infatuation's "Best Ice Cream in America" (2023), Eater New York's "18 essential ice cream shops" (2023), Today Show and Drew Barrymore Show features (2024), and earlier New York Times coverage.
Sugar Hill Creamery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sugar Hill Creamery
- Legal name
- Sugar Hill Creamery
- Website
- https://sugarhillcreamery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sugar Hill Creamery is a Black-owned, woman-led Harlem-based artisanal ice cream company that produces small-batch, culturally-inspired ice cream and operates three Harlem storefronts plus curated pop-ups, nationwide shipping, and corporate catering.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sugar Hill Creamery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Ice Cream
- NAICS
- Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152), Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813)
- SIC
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Mobile Dessert Vendors (Ice Cream/Dessert Trucks & Carts) (THAFAHAG)
Keywords
Where Sugar Hill Creamery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Sugar Hill Creamery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Ice Cream Sales: In-store ice cream sales across three Harlem locations and pop-up locations. Customers can purchase scoops, sundaes, floats, and ice cream sandwiches.
- Ice Cream Cakes: Sale of pre-made ice cream cakes in 6-inch (serves 5-7) and 8-inch (serves 20-25) sizes with various flavor combinations. Prices range from $39.95 to $85.
- Delivery and Online Ordering: Revenue from delivery orders through DoorDash, Seamless, UberEats, and direct website ordering for pickup and delivery from Harlem locations.
- Catering Services: Corporate and private event catering including branded tricycle ice cream service, hot chocolate cart, drop-off orders, and custom flavor creation. Past clients include Nike, NBA, Disney, and Christian Dior.
- Nationwide Shipping: Shipping ice cream and cakes to customers throughout the United States via GoldBelly platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Scoop |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 6-inch Ice Cream Cakes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 8-inch Ice Cream Cakes |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Catering Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sugar Hill Creamery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sugar Hill Creamery produces and sells small-batch, handmade artisanal ice cream across three Harlem storefronts and additional pop-up locations, featuring culturally-inspired flavors rooted in Caribbean, Midwestern, and Harlem heritage alongside dairy and non-dairy/vegan options. The company also offers 6-inch and 8-inch ice cream cakes, mobile ice cream and hot chocolate catering with a branded tricycle, private party venue rental, gift cards, and nationwide shipping of its products via GoldBelly.
Product overview
Sugar Hill Creamery is a Black-owned, woman-led artisanal ice cream shop offering handmade small-batch ice cream with both dairy and non-dairy/vegan options. The product portfolio centers on their core ice cream offerings (including classic year-round flavors and rotating seasonal flavors), complemented by ice cream cakes in two sizes (6" serving 5-7 people and 8" serving 20-25 people), catering services (mobile ice cream tricycle and hot chocolate cart), and party venue rental. The company distinguishes itself through culturally-inspired flavors rooted in Caribbean, Midwestern, and Harlem heritage, along with their signature Harlemites collaboration series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Handmade Small-Batch Ice Cream Artisanal, handmade small-batch ice cream offered in rotating seasonal flavors and a core set of year-round classics, including both dairy and non-dairy/vegan options, sold by the scoop and in sundaes, floats, and ice cream sandwiches.
- Non-Dairy and Vegan Ice Cream Dairy-free ice cream options including water-based sorbets (notably Sweet Socialism dark chocolate sorbet) and milk-substitute flavors for vegan customers.
- 6-Inch Ice Cream Cakes Pre-made 6-inch ice cream cakes combining cake and ice cream, serving 5-7 people, available in flavors such as Blueberry Cheesecake ($39.95), Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cake ($42.00), Red Velvet with Blueberry Cheesecake, and Chocolate with Vanilla.
- 8-Inch Ice Cream Cakes Pre-made 8-inch ice cream cakes pairing ice cream with cake, serving 20-25 people, priced at $85.00, available in Red Velvet with Blueberry Cheesecake, Chocolate with Vanilla, and Vanilla with Blueberry Cheesecake flavor combinations.
- Ice Cream Catering (Mobile Tricycle Service) Mobile ice cream catering service for corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, and brand activations across NYC, featuring a branded tricycle for on-site service and custom flavor creation. Past clients include Nike, NBA, Disney, and Christian Dior.
- Hot Chocolate Cart Catering Winter-season catering service featuring a handmade hot chocolate cart, available from late September through March for corporate and private events.
- Party Store Rental Private event hosting at the Lexington Avenue East Harlem store with exclusive space use, a 90-minute celebration, and one scoop of ice cream per guest for birthday parties and private events.
- Gift Cards E-gift cards redeemable at Sugar Hill Creamery's Harlem locations, sold through the Square gift card platform.
- Nationwide Ice Cream Shipping (via GoldBelly) Shipping of Sugar Hill Creamery ice cream and cakes to customers throughout the United States via the GoldBelly nationwide shipping platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- First scoopable ice cream shop in Harlem when founded in 2017, remaining the only option uptown
Companies that use Sugar Hill Creamery
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sugar Hill Creamery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature2 records
Sugar Hill Creamery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GoldBellycoreGoldBelly partnership enables nationwide shipping of Sugar Hill Creamery ice cream and cakes to customers throughout the United States, significantly expanding the brand's geographic reach beyond NYC.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sugar Hill Creamery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: McConnell's is a small-batch, premium ice cream maker with scoop shops and direct shipping. Its batch-production emphasis, storytelling around heritage, and DTC shipping business make it a direct analogue to Sugar Hill's craft, scoop-shop, and GoldBelly model.
- Emack & Bolio's: Emack & Bolio's is a multi-location premium scoop shop chain known for creative flavors and cones. Its small-batch scoop-shop format and flavor-led differentiation compete with Sugar Hill for the same premium urban ice cream occasion.
- Coolhaus: Coolhaus is a craft ice cream brand built around creative, often quirky flavor combinations, sold through scoop trucks, shops, and grocery. Its mobile/event distribution and flavor-forward brand echo Sugar Hill's tricycle catering and Harlemites cultural-flavor programming.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni's operates scoop shops built on small-batch, creative, ingredient-driven ice cream flavors and direct-to-consumer shipping. Its flavor-rotation model, direct e-commerce, and cult-brand positioning make it a strong analogue to Sugar Hill's premium differentiated playbook.
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Van Leeuwen is a premium NYC-based scoop shop chain known for handmade ice cream with widely recognized vegan and dairy lines. It is the closest direct peer given overlapping city footprint, scoop-shop model, and emphasis on non-dairy options that Sugar Hill Creamery also competes on.
- Blue Marble Ice Cream: Blue Marble is a Brooklyn-based small-batch ice cream scoop shop focused on organic, locally rooted flavors. Its NYC footprint, small-batch craft production, and neighborhood-scoop positioning put it in close competition for the same Upper Manhattan discretionary dessert customer.
- Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Salt & Straw runs scoop shops built around quirky, story-driven, small-batch flavors with strong press cycles and limited-edition collaborations. It mirrors Sugar Hill's flavor-as-content approach and premium artisanal positioning.
- Ample Hills Creamery: Ample Hills is a Brooklyn-originated small-batch ice cream scoop chain offering creative, locally inspired flavors in a retail storefront format. It is comparable to Sugar Hill Creamery in batch production approach, flavor creativity, and NYC premium positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is a national super-premium ice cream brand with values-driven marketing and extensive retail penetration. It overlaps with Sugar Hill on premium positioning and cultural/mission-led branding but competes through grocery rather than scoop-shop channels.
- Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs is a global premium ice cream brand with broad retail and foodservice distribution. It is comparable as a price-positioned incumbent that competes for premium dessert occasions but does not focus on Sugar Hill's small-batch, culturally rooted flavor niche.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sugar Hill Creamery social profiles
Digital presenceSugar Hill Creamery compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sugar Hill Creamery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sugar Hill Creamery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sugar Hill Creamery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sugar Hill Creamery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Hill Creamery
What does Sugar Hill Creamery do?
Sugar Hill Creamery produces and sells small-batch, handmade artisanal ice cream across three Harlem storefronts and additional pop-up locations, featuring culturally-inspired flavors rooted in Caribbean, Midwestern, and Harlem heritage alongside dairy and non-dairy/vegan options. The company also offers 6-inch and 8-inch ice cream cakes, mobile ice cream and hot chocolate catering with a branded tricycle, private party venue rental, gift cards, and nationwide shipping of its products via GoldBelly.
Is Sugar Hill Creamery a public or private company?
Sugar Hill Creamery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sugar Hill Creamery founded?
Sugar Hill Creamery was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sugar Hill Creamery based?
Sugar Hill Creamery is headquartered in New City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sugar Hill Creamery make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Ice Cream Sales are the primary driver. The others are ice Cream Cakes, delivery and Online Ordering, catering Services and nationwide Shipping.
Who are Sugar Hill Creamery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Emack & Bolio's, Coolhaus, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Blue Marble Ice Cream, Salt & Straw Ice Cream and Ample Hills Creamery. Broad incumbents are Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs.
Does Sugar Hill Creamery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sugar Hill Creamery.
What industry is Sugar Hill Creamery in?
Sugar Hill Creamery's product category is Artisanal Ice Cream. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAA, Ice Cream & Gelato Shops, with a secondary code of CRADACAE, Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts. Its NAICS code is 311520 and its SIC code is 2024.