FrioFrio

What FrioFrio does

FrioFrio is a small, independent artisanal ice cream company headquartered and operating from a single storefront at 8100 Minnetonka Blvd in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. Founded in 2014 by James Beard-recognized chef Katy Gerdes (also the owner of Angel Food Bakery) and Chris Weber, FrioFrio began as a mobile food truck operation and opened its permanent brick-and-mortar ice cream shop in 2022, tucked behind Angel Food Bakery within the Texa-Tonka shopping center.

The company produces small-batch, scratch-made frozen treats from fresh, natural ingredients including fresh-squeezed citrus, pureed avocados, and herbs grown in its own garden. Core products include rotating seasonal ice cream and sorbet flavors (e.g., Sweet Potato Butterscotch, Lemon Thyme with Strawberry, Goat Cheesecake Fig, Toasted Coconut, Burnt Caramel), ice lollies (popsicle-style treats on sticks) in creative flavor combinations (Avocado Lime, Strawberry Balsamic Basil, Grapefruit Carrot Ginger, Horchata Rice Pudding, Thai Boba Tea), and signature sandwich formats including Ice Cream Cookie Sammies and Macaron Ice Cream Cookie Sammies. The shop also offers craft cocktails for adults 21+, features a dog-friendly outdoor patio, and lists vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options among its dietary capabilities.

FrioFrio generates revenue through three streams: walk-in retail sales at the storefront, take-home pint sales (occasionally promoted at 50% off select flavors), and event catering for gatherings of 150+ guests delivered via a fleet of Yeti coolers with pickup or delivery options. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer in a single Minnesota market; marketing runs primarily through Instagram and Facebook; and named enterprise catering clients include Driscoll's, Target, the MN Twins, and various breweries and street festivals. The company is privately held by its two founders with no external funding, parents, or subsidiaries, and operates with a 1-10 person team.

Name

FrioFrio

Legal name

FrioFrio

Website

https://friofriomn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FrioFrio is a small-batch, independent ice cream shop in Saint Louis Park, MN, founded in 2014 by James Beard-recognized chef Katy Gerdes and Chris Weber, producing artisanal ice cream, sorbets, and signature ice cream sandwich formats for retail walk-ins and event catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen & Refrigerated Snack Foods (Ice Cream Novelties, Snack Bites) (CRADABAL)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Frozen desserts
• Ice cream catering
• Specialty popsicles
• Small batch sorbet

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Shop Sales: Direct sales of ice cream, sorbets, ice lollies (popsicles), macaron ice cream cookie sandwiches, and craft cocktails to consumers at their physical storefront in Saint Louis Park.
2. Catering & Events: Mobile catering services for large events (150+ guests) providing ice cream and ice lollies from Yeti coolers. Can accommodate gatherings of all sizes with pickup or delivery options.
3. Pint Sales: At-home ice cream consumption through pint sales of select flavors, including occasional discounted offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

FrioFrio is a small-batch, independent ice cream company that produces scratch-made frozen treats including ice cream, sorbets, ice lollies (popsicles), ice cream cookie sandwiches, and macaron ice cream sandwiches. The company operates a brick-and-mortar ice cream shop in Saint Louis Park, MN, and provides mobile catering services for large events (150+ guests) using a fleet of Yeti coolers. Products are made from fresh, unconventional ingredients such as fresh-squeezed citrus, pureed avocados, and herbs from their garden.

Product overview

FrioFrio is a small-batch, independent ice cream company offering a portfolio of frozen treats. The core offerings include scratch-made ice cream and sorbet in rotating seasonal flavors, and Ice Lollies (popsicle-style treats on sticks) in unique flavor combinations. Signature items include Ice Cream Cookie Sammies and Macaron Cookie Sammies, both of which have developed cult followings. The company also offers craft cocktails for adults and catering services for large events (150+ guests) using portable Yeti coolers. All products are made from fresh ingredients including citrus, avocados, and herbs from their garden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ice Cream & Sorbet Small-batch, scratch-made ice cream and sorbet sold at the company's ice cream shop in Saint Louis Park, MN, and available in take-home pints. Flavors rotate seasonally and use fresh, unconventional ingredients. Available with gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options.
• Ice Lollies (Popsicles) Popsicle-style frozen treats on sticks in unique flavors such as The Piñata (cake batter with gummy bears), Avocado Lime, Strawberry Balsamic Basil, Grapefruit Carrot Ginger, Raspberry Hibiscus, Blueberry Greek Yogurt, Chocolate, Sweet Apple Pie, Horchata Rice Pudding, Vanilla, Pineapple Chili, Thai Boba Tea, and Java Jones.
• Ice Cream Cookie Sammies Ice cream sandwiches made by placing ice cream between cookies, with combinations such as Sweet Potato Butterscotch with Ginger Chew cookies and Vanilla Chocolate Chip. Developed a cult following.
• Macaron Cookie Sammies Ice cream sandwiches using macarons as the bread, with varieties including Purple Taro and Black Coco Macaron with Orange Sherbet.
• Cocktails Craft cocktails served at the ice cream shop for adults 21+, with options described as spicy, citrus, rich, and southern varieties.
• Catering & Events Event catering services for weddings, corporate parties, and promotional events (150+ guests) using a fleet of Yeti coolers. Past clients include Driscoll's, Target, MN Twins, and various breweries and street festivals. Pickup or delivery options available.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Angel Food BakerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-location partnership where FrioFrio operates its ice cream shop tucked at the back of Angel Food Bakery location. Katy Gerdes is the owner of both FrioFrio and Angel Food Bakery, creating an integrated culinary destination.
• Driscoll'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate catering client for whom FrioFrio has provided ice cream catering services at events.
• TargetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate catering client for promotional events.
• MN TwinsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSports team for whom FrioFrio has provided catering at stadium or fan events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coolhaus: Architect-founded architectural ice cream sandwich brand known for unique, chef-driven flavor combinations and sandwiches. Highly comparable to FrioFrio's signature Ice Cream Cookie Sammies and Macaron Sammies and its positioning as a creative, design-forward indie scoop-and-sandwich concept.
• Salt & Straw: Chef-driven, small-batch ice cream brand famous for unusual, locally-sourced flavors and cult following. Mirrors FrioFrio's emphasis on creative seasonal flavors and culinary storytelling, and represents the scale-up archetype for a brand like FrioFrio.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Artisanal, small-batch ice cream with unconventional flavors and a strong direct-to-consumer/e-commerce business. Comparable to FrioFrio on small-batch production, creative flavor development, and DTC pints business, and a useful benchmark for indie ice cream scaling.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium artisanal ice cream brand built on creative flavors (including dairy-free/vegan options) with national distribution and DTC pint shipping. Closely comparable to FrioFrio on premium positioning, vegan/dairy-free offerings, and an artisan flavor library that extends beyond classics.

Regional players

• Amy's Ice Creams: Texas-based small-batch ice cream chain known for unusual flavors and a playful in-store experience. Similar to FrioFrio in being an independent, flavor-forward scoop shop with rotating creative offerings, but operating at regional scale in a different geography.
• Graeter's: Cincinnati-based, multi-generational craft ice cream maker using a small-batch French-pot process, distributed regionally through grocery pints and scoop shops. Comparable to FrioFrio as a chef-quality craft brand with wholesale pint distribution and physical scoop locations.
• Sweet Rose Creamery: Small-batch artisanal scoop shop chain, originally Minneapolis-based, focused on handmade ice cream with seasonal flavors. Very similar operating model to FrioFrio (chef-quality ice cream in a neighborhood scoop shop), with geographic roots in the same Minneapolis market.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Iconic mass-premium ice cream brand known for creative flavors, chunk-and-mix inclusions, and values-driven branding. Competes with FrioFrio for the same flavor-forward, indulgent-eating occasion but operates at vastly larger scale with full U.S. grocery distribution.
• Halo Top: Better-for-you, low-calorie ice cream brand with national grocery pint distribution and DTC. Overlaps with FrioFrio in the premium pint category and in addressing dietary preferences (low-calorie vs. dairy-free/vegan), competing primarily through grocery rather than scoop shop channel.
• Häagen-Dazs: Established mass-premium ice cream brand with global distribution and broad foodservice presence. Overlaps with FrioFrio in the premium-ice-cream category and scoop/dessert channel but competes on scale and brand recognition rather than chef creativity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/friofriomn
• Instagraminstagram.com/friofriomn
• Xx.com/FrioFrioMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friofrio

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 FrioFrio