Ample Hills

Last updated

Ample Hills
Industry Ice cream
Founded2010
FoundersBrian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna
Key people
Lisa Teach (CEO)
Website www.amplehills.com

Ample Hills is an American ice cream company. Founded by Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna as a pushcart in 2010, the company became known for its "playful" flavors. Their first storefront, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, opened in 2011, selling out 130 gallons of ice cream in just 4 days. [1] It soon expanded into a chain prominent in New York City, with additional locations at one point in Disney World and Los Angeles. [2]

The company laid off all of its employees and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 15, 2020 due to delays in factory construction, operating losses, and other self-described business mistakes. [3] [4] [5] Schmitt Industries acquired Ample Hills from bankruptcy for $1 million in June 2020, with the founders exiting a month later. [6] [5] Due to failure to pay rent and expenses, Schmitt Industries closed all Ample Hills locations on December 19, 2022. [7]

The founders (Smith and Cuscuna) signed a lease to open a new ice cream company and shop, the Social, in March 2021, backed by investors including Norm Brodsky. [8] Backed by these investors, they bought Ample Hills back for $150,000 in June 2023 and brought in CEO and investor Lisa Teach. However, by late 2023, the pair were fired from the company, after clashes with Teach. [9] [10] [11]

The Ample Hills story has been used for several Harvard Business School case studies by Thomas Eisenmann. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Gootman, Elissa (June 2, 2011). "So Successful a New Ice Cream Shop Closes After 4 Days". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Kang, Matthew (January 27, 2020). "Ample Hills Creamery closes flagship Los Feliz location after 15 months". Eater LA. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  3. ↑ Adams, Erika (March 16, 2020). "Popular Ice Cream Chain Ample Hills Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy". Eater NY. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  4. ↑ Rubin, Courtney (February 5, 2021). "The Shocking Meltdown of Ample Hills — Brooklyn's Hottest Ice Cream Company". Marker. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Adams, Erika; Warerkar, Tanay (June 23, 2020). "Ice Cream Chain Ample Hills Acquired by Manufacturing Company for $1M After Bankruptcy". Eater NY. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  6. ↑ Duggan, Kevin (July 7, 2020). "Founders of Ample Hills Creamery leave business following bankruptcy announcement". amNewYork. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  7. ↑ "All Ample Hills ice cream shops close indefinitely". January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  8. ↑ Sytsma, Alan (March 16, 2021). "Ample Hills' Founders Return With a New Shop and a New Focus". New York . Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  9. ↑ Moskin, Julia (November 29, 2023). "Ample Hills Founders Are Out of the Business Again". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ↑ Conrad, Jennifer (November 21, 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: The Ample Hills Co-Founders Have Been Let Go--Less Than 6 Months After They Returned to the Company". Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Moskin, Julia (June 16, 2023). "After an Epic Meltdown, Ample Hills Creamery Aims to Rise Again". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 17, 2023.
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