Carvel specializes in every single type of ice-cream you could ever imagine. They are particularly famous for their own brand soft serve ice-cream, specially made ice-cream cakes and their range of novelty frozen treats.

Carvel have always been and continue to be committed to the quality of their products. They create and offer an absolutely spectacular range of flavors, something to make everyone happy. By dedicating their company to producing superior quality products and a fun, family oriented atmosphere, this chain set themselves apart from other competitors.

History

Tom Carvel began this venture with one loan truck in 1929, a rather modest start. He started by selling a variety of hard serve products and frozen custard. In 1934, on one of his many trips, his truck broke down on the road side and he managed to sell his entire stock over the course of two days. It was after this incident that he was inspired to convert his business from a truck to a fixed location.

In 1937, the first official location was opened in Hartsdale, New York. The ice-cream and frozen custard were extremely popular and throughout the 1940’s Tom continued to travel the US selling his frozen treats from his truck, while his wife Agnes remained as management of their fixed location. It was in 1947 that he began selling his personally designed freezer the ‘Custard King’ to various other companies.

Upon inspecting the state of these other businesses that were using his freezer design, he discovered they were not conducting their businesses with the same integrity that he’d intended. It was from this experience that, in 1949, franchising of the chain began, ensuring the same high standards at every branch. Tom Carvel was always highly involved in all aspects of the company, even to the extent of recording the majority of the company’s radio commercials throughout the 1950’s.

In 1989, after 60 years at the helm, Carvel sold the brand to Investicorp who continue to expand while remaining true to Tom’s original dream. From their humble beginnings as a sole ice-cream truck roaming the US they now have over 500 locations in 49 states. 

Review

Carvel’s products are not the only thing that is set to delight you. Their restaurants are designed for optimal comfort in cute, pastel colors. They are also well known for excellent customer service with the personable, smiling staff greeting you as soon as you walk through the door.

Their frozen menu is extremely expansive: soft serve and hand dipped, sundaes, shakes, bars, sandwiches as well as novelties and treats, all in an amazing range of flavors. Their flavors include: banana fudge, black raspberry, chocolate, coffee, maple walnut, peach marshmallow, the list goes on and on. They also offer their special range of Carvelanches, these are combinations of Carvel ice-cream and different toppings: M&M’s, Reese’s and Oreo’s.

If you’re looking for something for a special occasion, choose one of their legendary range of ice-cream cakes, the chain are artists in this regard. The most popular menu item is the Reese’s Sundae Dasher, a delicious blend. If you still have room after this, try one of the Chipsters ice cream sandwiches, a combination of ice-cream, cookies and chocolate chips, what’s not to love.

The brand is also particularly affordable. A normal soft serve costs from $2 to $5, while a Carvelance will cost around $5, their cakes start at as low as $12. To add to this affordability, the chain also offers frequent promotional deals, ensuring their customer is always getting the best value for money.  By creating a welcoming environment and a consistently superior product, Carvel have remained at the forefront of the ice-cream industry for over 60 years and will continue to do so for years to come.