bridgeman's
Bridgeman's Ice Cream is a family-owned premium ice cream brand founded in 1936 in Duluth, Minnesota, producing 48oz retail and 3-gallon foodservice tubs distributed to Midwest grocers, scoop shop partners, a company-owned Woodbury parlor, and nationwide consumers via Goldbelly.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersWoodbury, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What bridgeman's does
Bridgeman's Ice Cream, LLC is a privately held, family-owned premium ice cream brand founded in 1936 in Duluth, Minnesota, with brand heritage tracing back to Henry Bridgeman's 1883 milk delivery operation. The company produces premium ice cream in 48oz retail tubs and 3-gallon foodservice scooping tubs, distributing across the Upper Midwest through wholesale grocery accounts (Hy-Vee, Kowalski's, Von Hanson's) and a network of scoop shop partners (Flynn's Diner, 4 Seasons Restaurant, L'More Chocolat, among others). Since acquisition by Meggan Kerkenbush, Brian Appeldoorn, and Crystal Bakker in 2015, the business has pursued a multi-channel revival strategy anchored by a flagship company-owned scoop parlor in Woodbury, Minnesota (opened 2020, offering 24 flavors), franchise opportunities, catering and events services, local delivery via DoorDash, and nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping through a Goldbelly partnership initiated in October 2023.
The company's revenue mechanics span four streams: wholesale to grocery and foodservice partners (priced per tub), retail sales at the company-owned parlor, direct-to-consumer shipping (including seasonal SKUs like the $29.99 Yule Log Ice Cream Roll relaunched in December 2025 and the Bridgie Box charity gift product), and franchise/license fees from branded locations. Operations are run from a small corporate headquarters at 2110 Eagle Creek Lane, Woodbury, MN, with a stated 1-10 employee headcount, indicating that scale is achieved through partner and channel leverage rather than large corporate infrastructure. The brand's primary customer base is Upper Midwest consumers purchasing premium ice cream through grocery retail and local scoop shops, with an emerging national consumer base reached through Goldbelly and a planned multi-unit foodservice rollout with Happy Joe's starting in August 2026 across Minnesota.
bridgeman's firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- bridgeman's
- Legal name
- Bridgeman's Ice Cream, LLC
- Website
- https://bridgemans.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bridgeman's Ice Cream is a family-owned premium ice cream brand founded in 1936 in Duluth, Minnesota, producing 48oz retail and 3-gallon foodservice tubs distributed to Midwest grocers, scoop shop partners, a company-owned Woodbury parlor, and nationwide consumers via Goldbelly.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
bridgeman's industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Ice Cream / Consumer Packaged Foods
- NAICS
- Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers (42442)
- SIC
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)
Keywords
Where bridgeman's is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Woodbury
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
bridgeman's business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Ice Cream Sales: Direct sales of ice cream to consumers at company-owned parlor in Woodbury, MN. Products include scoops, sundaes, malts, and specialty items.
- Wholesale Distribution: Sale of 48oz retail tubs and 3-gallon scooping tubs to independent grocery stores, specialty markets, and restaurants throughout the Midwest. Products available at Hy-Vee, Kowalski's, Von Hanson's, and family-owned markets.
- Nationwide Shipping: Premium ice cream shipped nationwide via Goldbelly partnership. Products include 1.5 quart tub packs, specialty sundae kits, ice cream sandwiches, and seasonal specialty ice cream pies. Available for next-day delivery in all 50 states.
- DoorDash Delivery: Local delivery via DoorDash for customers within 5 miles of Woodbury parlor, Dash Mart delivery in select metro areas, and nationwide shipping through DoorDash platform.
- Franchise & Licensing: Franchise opportunities for ice cream parlors and full restaurants. Locally owned, family-operated locations. Partnership opportunities for scoop shops, restaurants, and retail sales.
- Catering & Events: Full service and self-serve ice cream stations for weddings, corporate events, schools, parties, and banquets. Partnership with The Knot for wedding market.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Yule Log Ice Cream Roll - $29.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Parlor Menu Items |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
bridgeman's product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bridgeman's manufactures and sells super premium, extra-quality ice cream made from fresh milk and cream, wholesome fruits and nuts, rich cocoas and dark chocolates, sweet caramel, and candies. The company distributes through a company-owned scoop parlor in Woodbury, MN, wholesale tubs to independent grocery stores and scoop shop partners across the Midwest, nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping via Goldbelly and DoorDash, event catering stations, and a franchise program.
Product overview
Bridgeman's Ice Cream is a family-owned ice cream company offering super premium ice cream products through multiple channels. The core product is their premium ice cream sold in 48oz retail tubs and 3-gallon scoop shop tubs at grocery stores throughout the Midwest. They operate an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in Woodbury, MN with seating for dine-in experience, birthday parties, and private events. The company offers nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping via Goldbelly and DoorDash, catering services for events, and franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to open Parlors or full-service restaurants. Seasonal and limited-edition products include the Yule Log Ice Cream Roll, Bridgie Box gift sets, and specialty sundaes at the Minnesota State Fair.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bridgeman's Premium Ice Cream Super premium, extra-quality ice cream made with fresh milk and cream, wholesome fruits and nuts, rich cocoas and dark chocolates, sweet caramel, and candies under proprietary recipes delivering a smooth, creamy, not-too-sweet, not-too-heavy flavor profile. Sold to consumers via multiple channels and to wholesale partners in tubs.
- Bridgeman's Ice Cream Parlor (Woodbury, MN) Old-fashioned ice cream parlor experience at the Woodbury, MN location, scooping 24 flavors with dine-in seating, birthday party hosting, private events, online ordering, and eGift card support.
- Catering Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Common Hope students graduate at 3-4 times the national average in Guatemala
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use bridgeman's
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
bridgeman's technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
bridgeman's partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice CreamminorFranchisee Brian Smith partnership bringing Bridgeman's Ice Cream to Happy Joe's locations in Minnesota. Opening in Mendota Heights marks first of six planned locations in Minnesota expansion.
- GoldbellycoreGoldbelly partnership enables nationwide shipping of Bridgeman's ice cream direct to consumers' doorsteps. Products include 1.5 quart tub packs, specialty sundae kits (Turtle, Cookie Lover, Peanut Butter Cup, Gray Duck), ice cream sandwiches, and seasonal specialty ice cream pies. Available for next-day delivery in all 50 states.
- DoorDashcoreDoorDash partnership enables local delivery within 5 miles of Woodbury parlor, Dash Mart delivery in select metro areas, and nationwide shipping through DoorDash platform.
- Common HopecoreSocial impact partnership supporting education in Guatemala. Bridgie's Box product donates $10 per box sold. Students graduate at 3-4 times national average through Common Hope programs. Commitment to supporting education both locally and globally.
- The KnotminorPartnership with The Knot marketplace provides visibility to brides and wedding planners seeking ice cream catering for events. Part of strategy to expand catering and wedding market.
- Borchert's Meat MarketminorFamily-owned meat market in Maplewood, MN serving as retail partner and filming location for TV commercial featuring new packaging.
- Von Hanson's MeatsminorMultiple locations across Minnesota (Baxter/Brainerd, Monticello, St. Cloud) carrying Bridgeman's ice cream alongside meat products.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
bridgeman's competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Salt & Straw: VC-backed premium artisanal scoop shop and pint brand rapidly expanding nationwide. Comparable small-batch premium narrative with more aggressive growth capital and DTC ambition.
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium scoop/pint brand with strong national grocery and DTC presence. Competes with Bridgeman's on Goldbelly and in premium-icecream-as-gift occasions.
Broad incumbents
- Ben & Jerry's: Unilever-owned super-premium ice cream leader in national grocery and scoop shops. Comparable premium positioning at vastly larger national scale; primary competitive benchmark for shelf and DTC share.
- Blue Bunny (Wells Enterprises): LeMars, IA-based ice cream manufacturer (Wells) with deep Midwest grocery and foodservice share. Comparable Midwest footprint but at substantially larger scale than Bridgeman's.
- Häagen-Dazs: Nestlé-owned super-premium ice cream brand with national grocery and scoop parlor presence. Directly comparable premium-positioning benchmark for Bridgeman's super-premium tier.
Direct peers
- Graeter's: Family-owned premium ice cream maker (Cincinnati, 1870) selling pints through grocery and operating scoop shops in the Midwest/Mid-Atlantic. Closely comparable small-batch heritage brand with multi-channel retail and shipping model.
- Tillamook: Farmer-owned premium dairy cooperative that has aggressively expanded into super-premium ice cream sold through national grocery. Comparable premium-ingredient narrative and tub/grocery-first model.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium artisanal scoop shop and pint brand with national grocery presence and direct-to-consumer shipping. Comparable 'super premium' positioning and growth investment in shop-and-tub distribution.
- Kemps: Midwest regional dairy and ice cream brand (Minnesota-based) competing directly in grocery tubs and scoop channels throughout the same geography as Bridgeman's. Comparable Midwestern heritage and wholesale retailer footprint.
Regional players
- Oberweis Dairy: Illinois-based regional dairy and ice cream producer with home delivery and Midwest grocery presence. Comparable small regional premium dairy/ice cream operator serving an adjacent Midwest geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
bridgeman's social profiles
Digital presencebridgeman's financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
bridgeman's leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
bridgeman's funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
bridgeman's 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 bridgeman's
What does bridgeman's do?
Bridgeman's manufactures and sells super premium, extra-quality ice cream made from fresh milk and cream, wholesome fruits and nuts, rich cocoas and dark chocolates, sweet caramel, and candies. The company distributes through a company-owned scoop parlor in Woodbury, MN, wholesale tubs to independent grocery stores and scoop shop partners across the Midwest, nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping via Goldbelly and DoorDash, event catering stations, and a franchise program.
Is bridgeman's a public or private company?
bridgeman's is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was bridgeman's founded?
bridgeman's was founded in 1936. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is bridgeman's based?
bridgeman's is headquartered in Woodbury, United States, in the North America region.
How does bridgeman's make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Retail Ice Cream Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution, nationwide Shipping, doorDash Delivery, franchise & Licensing and catering & Events.
Who are bridgeman's's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Salt & Straw and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Broad incumbents are Ben & Jerry's, Blue Bunny (Wells Enterprises) and Häagen-Dazs. Direct peers are Graeter's, Tillamook, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and Kemps. Oberweis Dairy is listed as a regional player.
Does bridgeman's have an API?
No public API is recorded for bridgeman's.
What industry is bridgeman's in?
bridgeman's's product category is Premium Ice Cream / Consumer Packaged Foods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAE, Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADACAE, Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts. Its NAICS code is 311520 and its SIC code is 2024.