Vergara and Kelton Stone are co-owners. Nico's has garnered a positive reception. Half pints of Nico's Ice Cream are available at approximately 100 locations in Oregon and Washington.
The shop on Killingsworth Street in northeast Portland, Oregon's Vernon neighborhood, has colorful artwork and a neon sign. The company has a cartoon logo.[8] Half pints of Nico's were initially available at a limited number of locations,[9][10] but were available at approximately 100 locations in Oregon and Washington in 2023.[11]
The company was founded by Nico Vergara, who started with a food cart in Portland in 2021. According to CNBC, he started the business using money he earned investing in the stock market.[12][13] Since then, Nico's Ice Cream has operated two brick and mortar shops in Portland, as well as Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz.[14][15]
Before the first shop, Vergara operated via pop-ups and a food cart at Prost Marketplace.[16][17][18] In September 2021, he confirmed plans to open a shop on Fremont Street in northeast Portland's Cully neighborhood in November.[3][19] A second location followed on Killingsworth Street on November 5, 2022.[20][21] The Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz locations opened in October and November 2024, respectively. Kelton Stone is a co-owner.[1]
In 2023, the business hid a golden ticket in a half pint in one of the Portland shops, offering free ice cream for a year.[22][23] Nico's also partnered with the Portland Pickles to offer a pickle-flavored ice cream at Walker Stadium.[24] It was also a vendor at the Waterfront Blues Festival in 2023.[25][26] In 2024, Nico's was a vendor at a warehouse sale by Powell's Books.[27]
Reception
Nico's ranked fourth in the best ice cream category of The Oregonian's Readers Choice Awards in 2024.[28]
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