Vic's Ice Cream Inc

What Vic's Ice Cream Inc does

Vic's Ice Cream Inc operates a single-location traditional ice cream parlor and vintage diner at 3199 Riverside Blvd in Sacramento, California, founded in 1947 and serving the local community for over 77 years. The core product is handmade, small-batch ice cream produced on-site with fresh ingredients (rich cream, real sugar), offered in 22 classic flavors including chocolate, vanilla, mint chip, rocky road, and strawberry cheesecake. The accompanying diner menu includes classic American fare — sandwiches, soups, salads, sundaes, floats, shakes, malts, and banana splits — with pricing for individual items that is not publicly disclosed online.

The business model is direct-to-consumer retail: walk-in customers at the Sacramento parlor generate the bulk of revenue, supplemented by a small e-commerce storefront on Squarespace selling branded merchandise (t-shirts priced $30-$38 and a $32 heritage cap, one SKU currently sold out) and gift cards processed through Square. Distribution is purely domestic and single-location, with no wholesale, franchise, or multi-unit footprint. Marketing is predominantly organic, relying on the established 75-year Sacramento reputation, word-of-mouth community loyalty, and a website newsletter signup rather than paid acquisition channels. The company recently transitioned to new local ownership in 2024, accompanied by a building renovation that refreshed the space while preserving the historic soda fountain counter and original recipes; prior-ownership gift cards are no longer honored under the new regime.

Name

Vic's Ice Cream Inc

Legal name

Vic's Ice Cream Inc

Website

https://vicsicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vic's Ice Cream Inc operates a single-location traditional ice cream parlor and vintage diner in Sacramento, California, founded in 1947 and serving handmade small-batch ice cream (22 flavors), classic American diner fare, and branded merchandise to the local community and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ice Cream Parlor

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Dessert Cafes & Dessert Bars (Sit-Down) (THAFAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Handmade ice cream
• Ice cream parlor
• Soda fountain desserts
• Vintage diner food
• Small batch ice cream

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-person food and beverage sales: Retail sales of ice cream, sandwiches, soups, salads, sundaes, floats, shakes, and other diner fare directly to walk-in customers at the physical Sacramento location.
2. E-commerce merchandise sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, caps, and accessories through the company's own e-commerce storefront. Products are sold at fixed unit prices.
3. Gift cards: Sale of gift cards through Square's platform, enabling customers to purchase credit for future in-person redemption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Vic's Ice Cream operates a traditional ice cream parlor and vintage diner in Sacramento, serving handmade small-batch ice cream in 21 classic flavors produced from fresh ingredients (rich cream, real sugar). Alongside the ice cream, the company sells classic American diner fare (sandwiches, soups, salads), ice cream-based desserts (sundaes, banana splits, floats, shakes), and branded apparel and accessories via an online shop.

Product overview

Vic's Ice Cream operates as a traditional ice cream parlor and vintage diner serving the Sacramento community since 1947. The core offering consists of handmade ice cream produced in small batches with fresh, high-quality ingredients, available in 22 classic flavors. Complementary offerings include classic American diner food (sandwiches, soups, salads) and ice cream-based desserts (sundaes, floats, shakes, banana splits). The company also sells branded merchandise including t-shirts (Classic Vic's Tee in Vanilla and Mint Chip editions, Guest Check Tee, Meet Me at the Counter) and accessories (The Vic's Heritage Cap), available through their physical location and online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handmade Ice Cream Handcrafted small-batch ice cream produced with fresh, high-quality ingredients including rich cream and real sugar, available in 21 classic flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, mint chip, rocky road, strawberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, and mocha chip. Sold to walk-in customers at the Sacramento parlor.
• Diner Food Classic American diner fare including sandwiches (ham, corned beef, BLT, egg salad, tuna, PB+J, garden burger, Reuben), soups (cup, bowl, pint), and salads (full, side). Served to walk-in customers at the Sacramento location.
• Ice Cream Desserts Ice cream-based specialty desserts including sundaes (hot caramel, hot fudge, small), banana splits, frappes, floats, sherbet freezes, frosted drinks, malts, and shakes in chocolate, coffee, marshmallow, pineapple, strawberry, and vanilla. Served to walk-in customers.
• Classic Vic's Tee (Mint Chip Edition) Unisex garment-dyed heavyweight t-shirt in mint chip green featuring Vic's signature logo. Priced at $34. Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• Classic Vic's Tee (Vanilla Edition) Unisex garment-dyed heavyweight t-shirt in crisp white with the Vic's signature logo printed in soft sage, made from 100% garment-dyed cotton. Priced at $34. Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• Guest Check Tee (Since 1947) Tribute t-shirt featuring a pink retro guest check graphic on the back and the classic Vic's logo on the front, printed on a soft garment-dyed Comfort Colors tee. Priced at $38. Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• Meet Me at the Counter Tee One More Scoop graphic tee featuring a hand-drawn illustration of Vic's iconic counter stools, screen printed on a vintage-washed Comfort Colors shirt made from 100% ring-spun cotton with a relaxed fit. Priced at $38. Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• The Vic's Heritage Cap Laid-back classic cap made from soft garment-washed 100% cotton, with the Vic's signature logo embroidered on the front. Unstructured 6-panel, low-profile design with matching fabric adjustable strap and antique brass buckle. Priced at $32 (currently sold out at time of input). Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• Youth Classic Vic's Tee (Vanilla Edition) Youth t-shirt featuring the Vic's signature logo printed in soft sage on a crisp white shirt, made from 100% combed and ring-spun cotton with pre-shrunk fabric and a relaxed unisex fit. Priced at $30. Sold through the company e-commerce storefront.
• Vic's Ice Cream Gift Cards Gift cards sold through the Square platform for variable purchaser-selected amounts, redeemable for in-person purchases at the Sacramento location.

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 indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Foster's Freeze: California heritage drive-in fast-food and ice cream chain founded in the 1940s. Comparable to Vic's on California regional heritage, mid-century diner-meets-ice-cream concept, and small-town nostalgia positioning, though operating as a regional franchise.
• Gunther's Ice Cream: Long-standing Sacramento-area handmade ice cream parlor. Most direct local peer to Vic's, competing for the same Sacramento family/visitor demographic with similar handmade small-batch ice cream and diner-adjacent menu.

Emerging players

• CREAM (Cookies + Cream): Dessert cafe concept focused on ice cream sandwiches and related treats in a sit-down counter-service format. Comparable on the dessert-cafe sit-down experience and consumer demographic, though newer and more dessert-cafe rather than traditional parlor.

Direct peers

• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: California-based heritage handmade ice cream maker with scoop shops. Closest regional analog to Vic's: multi-decade California heritage, small-batch dairy-driven production, and traditional sit-down parlor experience.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Small-batch artisanal ice cream parlor chain with sit-down scoop shops and limited rotating flavors. Highly comparable to Vic's on handmade production ethos, sit-down parlor experience, and flavor-of-the-month customer engagement.
• Sweet Rose Creamery: Premium small-batch ice cream parlor with sit-down shops emphasizing handmade ice cream and classic flavors. Highly comparable to Vic's on artisanal production, traditional parlor experience, and flavor-lineup-driven positioning.
• Salt & Straw: Artisanal handmade small-batch ice cream brand with sit-down scoop shops. Directly comparable to Vic's on handmade production, scoop-shop format, and brand-driven premium positioning, though at much larger scale and multi-city footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Baskin-Robbins: Largest U.S. ice cream specialty chain offering 31 flavors plus sundaes, shakes, and ice cream cakes. Overlaps Vic's on classic parlor format and flavor variety, but competes purely on convenience and breadth rather than handmade/legacy positioning.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Large national franchise ice cream chain serving signature mixes, sundaes, and shakes in a sit-down parlor format. Comparable core offering (custom ice cream desserts) and counter-service model, though operating as a franchise rather than independent heritage brand.
• Häagen-Dazs Shops: Global premium ice cream brand with branded scoop shops. Comparable product category (premium ice cream sundaes, shakes) and sit-down parlor format, though operating at vastly larger scale and as part of a global packaged-goods portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vic's-ice-cream-inc

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 Vic's Ice Cream Inc