Ice Cream Social

What Ice Cream Social does

Ice Cream Social is a privately-held, founder-owned small-batch ice cream shop based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2020 by Katrina Ervin during the COVID-19 pandemic as an Instagram bake sale supporting social justice organizations, the company opened a single brick-and-mortar storefront at 2421 University Ave in March 2022 and now operates with 12 employees. The core offering is scratch-made, 100% gluten-free ice cream sold by the scoop in sizes ranging from Mini ($4.25) to a four-scoop Flight ($12.00), with 12+ signature flavors and a menu of toppings, take-home pints, and pup cups.

The business runs three revenue streams: in-store retail scoop shop sales, online ordering for pickup via a Square e-commerce platform, and a tiered private event catering service that includes self-serve cooler rentals (Lil Guy Cooler from $82, Party Cooler from $325) and full-service catered events (from $700 with staffing), capped at a one-hour travel radius from Madison. The company maintains a mission-driven model, donating 10% of profits to rotating community organizations — currently Madison Street Medicine in 2026, with cumulative giving totaling $29,054 across past recipients Campaign Zero, Freedom Inc., and Urban Triage. National visibility was achieved through a September 2020 feature on NBC's Kelly Clarkson Show, Madison Magazine coverage, and a Rachel Belle podcast appearance. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, operates only within Madison, and concentrates on a gluten-free, socially-conscious consumer niche.

Name

Ice Cream Social

Legal name

Ice Cream Social

Website

https://icecreamsocialwi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ice Cream Social is a Madison, Wisconsin small-batch ice cream shop founded in 2020 that sells scratch-made, 100% gluten-free ice cream through a single retail storefront, online pickup ordering, and tiered private event catering, while donating 10% of profits to community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Ice Cream Shop

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Small-batch ice cream
• Ice cream catering
• Artisan frozen desserts
• Gluten-free ice cream
• Private event scoops

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: In-store sales of scoop ice cream in various sizes (Mini, Single, Double, Flight) along with take-home pints, pup cups, and add-ons like waffle cones and toppings.
2. Private Event Catering: Bookable catering services for private events including self-serve coolers (Lil Guy Cooler, Party Cooler) and full catering with staffing. Minimum order quantities apply with pricing tiers based on scoops and service level.
3. Charitable Donation Model: Company donates 10% of profits to community organizations. Has donated $29,054 total back to community. Current recipient: Madison Street Medicine (2026). Past recipients include Campaign Zero ($738), Freedom Inc. ($835), Urban Triage ($850-1300).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ice Cream Social is a small-batch artisan ice cream shop in Madison, WI that produces and sells scratch-made, 100% gluten-free ice cream in 12+ signature flavors via in-store scoop service, take-home pints, and online pickup ordering. The business also offers three tiers of private event catering (Lil Guy Cooler, Party Cooler, and full Catered Event with staffing) for weddings, parties, and corporate functions within a 1-hour travel radius of Madison.

Product overview

Ice Cream Social is a small-batch ice cream shop offering an integrated portfolio of in-store scoop shop services and private event catering. The core product is the Scoop Shop featuring made-from-scratch ice cream in 12+ signature flavors available in various scoop sizes with customizable toppings. The business operates an Online Ordering platform for pickup and offers three Private Event Catering tiers: Lil Guy Cooler (self-serve, 10-50 scoops), Party Cooler (self-serve, up to 180 scoops), and full Catered Event service (80-250 scoops with staffing). The shop is 100% gluten free and maintains a community mission, donating a portion of profits to social justice causes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scoop Shop / In-Store Ice Cream Service Small-batch ice cream sold by the scoop in the Madison, WI storefront in sizes including Mini, Single, Double, Flight (4 scoops), and Take-Home Pints, with add-ons such as maple waffle cones, honeycomb candy, sprinkles, and M&Ms. Includes Pup Cups for dogs and a selection of beverages. Made in a 100% gluten-free facility.
• Lil Guy Cooler Self-serve cooler rental tier for private events, starting at $82+, accommodating 10 to 50 scoops with dry ice included. Designed for small gatherings and hosts wanting a no-staff ice cream option.
• Party Cooler Self-serve cooler rental tier for private events, starting at $325+, with up to 180 scoops across 1 to 3 flavors and dry ice included. Suited to mid-sized events such as parties and receptions.
• Catered Event Full-service catered event for private functions, starting at $700+, covering 80 to 250 scoops and including Ice Cream Social event staffing plus 1.5 hours of on-site service. Travel limited to a maximum of 1 hour from Madison, WI.
• Online Ordering for Pickup Digital ordering channel built on Square that lets customers place ice cream orders online for in-store pickup at the Madison, WI location, complementing walk-in purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• $29,054 donated to community organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Madison Street MedicinecoreOthers · 1 January 2026Current charitable donation recipient. Ice Cream Social is donating 10% of profits to Madison Street Medicine throughout 2026. Madison Street Medicine is a Madison-based organization.
• Campaign ZerominorOthersJune 2020 donation recipient. All proceeds from June 2020 sales donated to Campaign Zero, a police reform campaign associated with Black Lives Matter focusing on ending police brutality.
• Freedom, Inc.minorOthersJuly 2020 donation recipient. Madison-based nonprofit working with low-to-no income communities of color, focusing on ending violence against women, gender non-conforming, and transgender folks.
• Urban TriageminorOthersAugust 2020 donation recipient. Madison-based nonprofit working to foster, develop, and strengthen Black families' self-sufficiency through psychoeducation, community engagement, trauma response, and cultural heritage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium small-batch ice cream brand with scoop shops and grocery pint distribution. Closest comparable in artisanal positioning, signature flavor innovation, and direct-to-consumer retail model — but at national scale.
• Graeter's Ice Cream: Family-owned scoop shop and pint brand with regional Midwest roots. Comparable as a multi-generational, mission-driven premium ice cream company operating scoop shops with wholesale distribution.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Multi-city artisanal scoop shop with quirky signature flavors and strong brand storytelling. Comparable in craft positioning, experiential retail, and flavor-driven differentiation, though at broader geographic scale.
• Cold Stone Creamery: National franchised ice cream chain offering custom-mixed scoop shop service. Comparable product category and customer use case but operates at vastly larger scale and lacks Ice Cream Social's mission-driven positioning.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium scoop shop and pint brand with vegan and specialty options, plus national grocery presence. Comparable in scratch-made positioning, dietary-inclusion product line, and DTC retail model.

Emerging players

• Ample Hills Creamery: Brooklyn-origin small-batch scoop shop known for craft flavors and storytelling-driven branding. Comparable in artisanal positioning and event catering focus, though larger in footprint and recently restructured.
• Mitchell's Ice Cream: San Francisco Bay Area independent scoop shop with deep local roots and signature flavors. Comparable in independent small-batch retail model and strong local brand loyalty.

Direct peers

• Babcock Hall Dairy: UW-Madison campus creamery operating an on-site scoop shop and retail pint distribution. Comparable as a Madison-located small-batch ice cream producer with retail storefront, brand loyalty, and limited geographic reach.
• Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company: Wisconsin-based small-batch ice cream scoop shop with multiple Madison-area locations and a regional wholesale business. Highly comparable as a same-category, same-geography competitor operating retail scoop shops with a strong local brand.

Others

• Square (Block) Online Ordering: Ice Cream Social uses Square's e-commerce platform for online pickup ordering. Not a competitor, but a relevant ecosystem dependency and infrastructure provider for the company's digital ordering channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/icecreamsocialwi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ice-cream-social-wi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ice Cream Social