9/3

At Work With OddFellows Ice Cream Co.

At Work With...
By A Beautiful Mess
At Work With OddFellows Ice Cream Co. via A Beautiful MessWe are so happy to welcome Holiday from OddFellows Ice Cream Co. to share a bit about her business with us today!
 
OddFellows Ice Cream CoOdd Fellows Ice Cream Co."My husband Mohan and I own and operate a small-batch artisanal ice cream parlor in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called OddFellows Ice Cream Co. with our friend and pastry chef extraordinaire Sam Mason. The idea for our business venture came about when I was pregnant with my twins and longing for savory ice cream that I had a hard time finding at the supermarket. When Sam heard about my pregnancy craving, he whipped up some pretzel ice cream and brought me over a pint. Long story short, that was the night we conceived the idea of starting an ice cream business together.  In June 2013, our flagship Williamsburg shop opened, and this May, we opened our second location, a small outpost in the East Village.
At OddFellows, we are known for flavors a bit more avant-garde and more "technical" (Sam uses liquid nitrogen as a kitchen tool) than other ice cream shops.  Sam likes to blot the salty-vs.-sweet line between dinner and dessert (he made skirt steak ice cream as a contestant on The Iron Chef), so our product is more unconventional than other ice cream shops. Some people are weirded out by the flavors, but others love coming back to check out what new crazy flavors are in store.  (We've offered more than 120 flavors in our first year in business!)" 
 
Ice CreamBehind the scenesReserved"When you're running two stores (and raising two toddlers), you're always on your feet, and as is the nature of a growing business, the demands are constantly changing. We have a staff of around twenty, but Mohan, Sam and I  are responsible for much of the day-to-day operation. After Mohan and I drop off the twins at school, it's time for our two other "babies." Mohan fluctuates between the Williamsburg and East Village shops. He takes care of whole sale and catering queries, does the payroll and scheduling, and makes ice cream runs as needed (transporting ice cream from our flagship store to the Manhattan one and making deliveries throughout the city). Sam works out of our Williamsburg shop, churning out ice cream daily. Since we don't have a proper office at either shops, I do most of my work from home, handling our press relations and overseeing social media marketing." 
 
PatsyOddFellows Ice Cream tourIce Cream shop
"Our Williamsburg shop is 1,200 sq ft and our kitchen comprises half of that space. We make all our ice cream on premise and are truly "homemade." We get our dairy delivered from a farm upstate, and pasteurize our ice cream base in-house (which not many ice cream shops can claim). Our waffle cones are made fresh daily and are a customer favorite. The cinnamon and butter-y smell of the batter permeates the shop as customers walk in – and the scent is heavenly. Also we built a large window behind our ice cream counter so customers can see into the kitchen and see their ice cream being made. People really love that."
 
Vintage toys are the bestAt Work With OddFellows Ice Cream CoAdorable packaging"Sam's father gave him a toy monkey, which we now keep in the shop, which used to freak him out when he was a kid. That vintage monkey was the inspiration for our OddFellows mascot, Clyde the Monkey."
 
Ice cream bowlsSprinkle ice cream- yes, please!OddFellows Ice CreamIce Cream flavorsBeet Pistachio Honey Goat Cheese ice cream from OddFellows Ice Cream Co
"We wanted to create a whimsical and inviting space for both children and adults alike. You step in and are instantly transported to your "happy place." We went with a vintage carnival theme that included red-and-creme striped walls and a dose of circus monkey and clown decor. Our scoop shops combine design aspects of a traditional ice cream parlor sprinkled with a modern Brooklyn aesthetic. Our vibe is old school with a modern twist, just like much of our ice cream flavors are inventive rendition of the classics."
 
OddFellows work tour via A Beautiful MessOddFellows boomingOdd Fellows Ice Cream CoThank you so much for sharing some behind-the-scenes peeks, Holiday! Be sure to pop in and say hello to the folks at OddFellows Ice Cream Co. if you're in the area, or you can follow along online via their website, Instagram, or Facebook. xo.
 
Credits // Author: Holiday Kumar. Photography: Liesl Henrichsen.

35 Comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.