Wanderlust Creamery

What Wanderlust Creamery does

Wanderlust Creamery is a founder-owned artisanal ice cream company based in Southern California, operating 8 brick-and-mortar scoop shops across the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire markets with a 9th location planned in San Diego for Spring 2026. Founded in 2015 by Adrienne Borlongan and Jon-Patrick Lopez, both graduates of California State University Northridge, the company produces small-batch ice cream formulated with all-natural dairy, balanced butterfat, and minimal overrun, alongside housemade plant-based bases (rice milk and coconut cream) for vegan and dairy-free options. Its signature portfolio of 11 year-round flavors, all inspired by global travel destinations, is anchored by trademarked products including Ube Malted Crunch®, Japanese Neapolitan®, Pandan Tres Leches™, and Vietnamese Rocky Road™; the company also releases monthly rotating seasonal flavors exclusive to retail locations.

The business runs a multi-channel revenue model: in-store scoop and pint sales at retail locations, a nationwide direct-to-consumer online pint shop with a 6-pint minimum order and temperature-controlled dry-ice shipping, mobile-cart event catering with two pricing tiers ($1,200 small events from 60 guests; $1,899 large events from 100 guests), a deliberately curated wholesale line to select full-service restaurants, and a published cookbook, 'The World of Ice Cream' (Abrams Books, June 2024), distributed via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo, and Booktopia. The company has never raised institutional venture capital, does not franchise, and has expanded purely on cash-flow-funded organic growth. Distribution outside its own channels is augmented by earned-media coverage from Thrillist, Eater LA, and Food & Wine plus presence on Goldbelly, and the brand actively engages consumers through Instagram, a flavor-story blog, and an email newsletter tied to monthly seasonal flavor drops.

Name

Wanderlust Creamery

Legal name

Wanderlust Creamery LLC

Website

https://wanderlustcreamery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wanderlust Creamery is a privately-held, founder-owned artisanal ice cream company operating 8 Southern California scoop shops, a nationwide online pint shop, event catering, and a published cookbook, serving individual consumers, corporate event clients, and select restaurants with globally-inspired, trademarked flavors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream (Hard Pack) Manufacturing (AFAHAEAA), Mobile Dessert Vendors (Ice Cream/Dessert Trucks & Carts) (THAFAHAG), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Scoop shop
• Ice cream catering
• Travel inspired flavors
• Specialty frozen desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: In-store ice cream sales at 7+ brick-and-mortar scoop shop locations across California. Customers purchase single scoops, multiple scoops, or pints directly at locations.
2. Online Pint Shop: Nationwide shipping of prepackaged pints through online store. Limited production 'drops' with 6-unit minimum and maximum per order. Exclusive flavors not available in stores.
3. Event Catering Services: Mobile ice cream cart catering for events. Small events starting at 60 guests ($1200), large events starting at 100 guests ($1899). Includes unlimited scoops and branded cups.
4. Wholesale to Restaurants: Wholesale supply to few select full-service restaurants. Excludes coffee shops, tea shops, other ice cream shops, or dessert concepts.
5. Book Sales: Publication and sale of 'The World of Ice Cream' cookbook released June 4, 2024, featuring 80 ice cream recipes. Available at major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and international booksellers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wanderlust Creamery handcrafts artisanal, travel-inspired ice cream sold through Southern California scoop shops, a nationwide online pint shop, mobile cart event catering, and select wholesale channels. Recipes use all-natural dairy with balanced butterfat and minimal overrun, plus proprietary housemade ingredients including rice milk, coconut cream, and brown sugar boba, with rotating seasonal and fixed signature flavors.

Product overview

Wanderlust Creamery is an artisanal ice cream brand offering a unified portfolio of handcrafted ice creams inspired by global travel. The core offering consists of 11 Signature Flavors available year-round both in-store and via nationwide online pint shipping, complemented by monthly rotating Seasonal Flavors available only in stores for limited periods. The company operates 8 brick-and-mortar scoop shops across Southern California (Atwater Village, Fairfax, Pasadena, Sawtelle, Venice, Irvine, Torrance, Tarzana) with a San Diego location opening Spring 2026. Adjacent offerings include a published cookbook (The World of Ice Cream, June 2024), an e-Gift Card program, and an ice cream catering division offering two service tiers: a Small Events Push Cart (starting at 60 guests, $1,200) and a Large Events Classic Italian Ice Cream Cart (starting at 100 guests, $1,899). The company also sells prepackaged pints and flavor packs online with nationwide temperature-controlled shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisanal Ice Cream (In-Store)

Quantifiable outcome

• First company to innovate Sticky Rice & Mango ice cream in 2015
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coolhaus: Los Angeles-based premium ice cream brand with scoop shops, architecturally-themed flavors, CPG distribution, and food-truck catering. Direct comparable in LA origin, branded flavor creativity, and multi-channel distribution.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium artisanal ice cream brand with nationwide scoop shops and grocery CPG distribution, known for vegan options and unique flavors. Direct comparable in craft positioning, vegan/dairy-inclusive menu, and DTC pint sales.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Portland-origin premium artisanal ice cream chain with a multi-city West Coast and national footprint, seasonal small-batch flavors, and scoop-shop DTC model. Closest comparable peer in positioning, flavor storytelling, and retail format.
• Humphry Slocombe: San Francisco-based craft ice cream maker with multiple scoop shops and a reputation for unconventional flavor profiles. Comparable in craft positioning and willingness to push adventurous, non-traditional flavors.
• Ample Hills Creamery: Brooklyn-born premium scoop shop chain with multiple East Coast locations and a craft, family-story-driven brand. Comparable in artisanal positioning, scoop shop retail model, and branded storytelling.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Columbus-origin premium artisanal ice cream brand with nationwide scoop shops, unique flavor innovation, direct-to-consumer pint shipping, and cookbook publications. Closely aligned in craft positioning, DTC, and brand-led growth.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: Santa Barbara-based premium artisanal ice cream maker with California scoop shops and direct-to-consumer pint shipping. Comparable in California craft heritage, in-house production, and DTC distribution model.

Regional players

• Magnolia Ice Cream: Filipino heritage ice cream brand founded by the family of Wanderlust's co-founder's grandfather. Comparable in cultural and flavor heritage (ube, tropical profiles) and a regional anchor in the AAPI dessert category.

Emerging players

• Taiyaki NYC: NYC-based Asian-inspired dessert concept featuring ice cream in fish-shaped cones with boba and matcha. Comparable in AAPI-cultural flavor positioning, boba/milk-tea-adjacent dessert experience, and emerging brand play.

Broad incumbents

• Häagen-Dazs: Established global premium ice cream brand with mass grocery, foodservice, and scoop-shop distribution. Comparable as a broad incumbent defining the premium ice cream category Wanderlust competes within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/wanderlustcreamery
• Xx.com/eatwanderlust
• Facebookfacebook.com/wanderlustcreamery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wanderlust-creamery-llc

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 Wanderlust Creamery