Ice Cream Business

2 Ice Cream Business Success Stories [2025]

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Updated: April 11th, 2025

If you have ever dreamed of owning an ice cream business, [[current_year]] might be the year to make it happen.

An ice cream shop is the easiest and, if done right, the most profitable business venture you will ever begin. Experts predict the ice cream market size in the coming years will grow at a CAGR of 4.2%.

A few reasons for expanding the market include the availability of innovative flavors and the growing popularity of impulse ice cream products like cones, sandwiches, and pops. Additionally, health consciousness among consumers is likely to increase the demand for premium ice cream brands.

Here are some ice cream business ideas you might consider:

Start an ice cream cone production business
Start a vegan ice cream business
Start an ice cream cookbook business
Start a drive-thru ice cream and frozen yogurt business
Start an ice cream producer business
Start an ice cream spoon manufacturing business
Start an ice cream wholesaler
Start an ice cream truck business

In this list, you'll find real-world ice cream business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a ice cream business that makes money.

1. Ice Cream Factory ($4.8M/year)

e-commerce store is built on the Shopify platform, which provides a user-friendly interface, reliable hosting, and a seamless checkout process for our customers. We also rely heavily on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for marketing and advertising purposes. These platforms allow us to reach a wider audience and engage with our customers on a more personal level. Additionally, we use QuickBooks for our accounting needs and Mailchimp for email marketing campaigns. Overall, these tools have been instrumental in helping us grow and scale our business.

How much money it makes: $4.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $150K
How many people on the team: 50

How I Started A $400K/Month Ice Cream Brand With Presence In 400+ Stores

Founder of Ice Cream Factory Shannon Imler started her company with 10 total ice cream containers, and has since expanded to over 400 stores and opened a second location with a goal to hit $863.2 million in revenue, utilizing an effective social media marketing strategy and employee appreciation for success.

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2. Midnight Kitchen Tools ($780K/year)

Michael Chou, an engineer working for NASA, came up with the idea for Midnight Kitchen Tools one night when he realized the need for an ergonomic ice cream scoop to protect his wrist from discomfort. After successfully launching the Midnight Scoop on Kickstarter and receiving valuable feedback, Chou expanded his product line to include the Midnight Slice, a revolutionary pizza slicer. With a focus on high-quality, functional kitchen tools, Midnight Kitchen Tools continues to innovate and meet the evolving needs of home cooks.

How much money it makes: $780K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 4

How This NASA Engineer Built A $65K/Month Kitchen Tools Business

Midnight Kitchen Tools founder Michael Chou shares how he identified a need in the market for ergonomic kitchen tools, and built a successful business through Kickstarter campaigns, e-commerce capabilities, and partnerships with other companies.

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