A Brooklyn-based ice cream shop was getting buzz, and Disney was pitching a brand partnership. So how did the business wind up filing for bankruptcy? A case study by Thomas Eisenmann and Lindsay N. Hyde examines the rise and fall—and recent rebound—of Ample Hills Creamery
Ice cream making started as a quirky hobby for Brian Smith, whose zeitgeisty flavors and fresh ingredients would become his trademark. For example, his “God Save the Cream,” inspired by the 2018 Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, combined elderflower wedding cake, buttercream frosting, and lemon-ginger ice cream.
When the Brooklyn-based screenwriter first met his future wife and business partner, he wooed her by hosting ice cream socials with homemade concoctions that guests raved about.
This article was provided with permission from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.