Herrell's Ice Cream facts for kids
Herrell's Ice Cream
in Northampton, Massachusetts |
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| Franchises, Wholesale (hot fudge) | |
| Industry | Frozen Food Industry |
| Founded | 1980; Northampton, Massachusetts |
| Headquarters | |
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Area served
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Stores in:
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| Products | Desserts, mainly ice cream |
Herrell's Ice Cream is a popular chain of ice cream shops. You can find their stores in Massachusetts and New York. They are famous for making over 400 different homemade ice cream flavors!
Contents
The Story of Herrell's Ice Cream
How Steve's Ice Cream Started
Steve Herrell started his first ice cream shop, called Steve's Ice Cream, in 1973. This was in Somerville, Massachusetts. He changed a special freezer to make his ice cream super rich and creamy. It had less air than other ice creams.
Steve learned about the Heath candy bar from a friend. He thought it would be amazing mixed into ice cream. When he opened his store, he didn't have flavors like chocolate chip already made. Instead, his team would mix fresh ice cream with candy or other treats. Customers could choose what they wanted added. These candy additions later became known as mix-ins.
People loved these custom-made flavors! Steve sold out of ice cream on his very first day. His store quickly became very popular. In 1977, Steve Herrell sold his company.
Opening Herrell's Ice Cream
After selling Steve's Ice Cream, Steve Herrell moved to Northampton, Massachusetts. His sales agreement meant he couldn't open another ice cream shop for three years.
Once those three years were over, in 1980, he opened Herrell's Ice Cream. He brought all his original recipes and special ice cream-making methods with him. Steve Herrell retired in 2014. Today, Judy Herrell owns and manages Herrell's Ice Cream.
Herrell's Ice Cream Store Locations
The main Herrell's store and the company's office are in Northampton, Massachusetts. In 1982, a second store opened in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but it is now closed.
Another store opened in 1996 at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts. The newest store in Huntington, New York, opened in 2008. In the late summer of 2024, a new Herrell's location opened in the Mill District in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Some Herrell's locations have closed over the years. For example, the Harvard Square store closed in September 2009. Another store in Allston, Massachusetts also closed around that time.
What People Think of Herrell's
Herrell's Ice Cream has received many compliments. In 1998, USA Today newspaper said Herrell's was the second-best ice cream in the whole country. Newsweek magazine mentioned Herrell's "uncompromising quality." They called it "a mecca for ice cream lovers," meaning a very important place for people who love ice cream.
In 2000, the famous chef Julia Child tasted Herrell's ice cream. She said it was "delicious."
