{"id":783585,"date":"2026-07-25T11:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/783585\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:09:17","slug":"what-a-15-pint-of-ice-cream-says-about-the-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/783585\/","title":{"rendered":"What a $15 pint of ice cream says about the economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hopkins, Minnesota\u00a0\u2014\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

\n It\u2019s a breezy, 80-degree sunny day on Mainstreet here and, stretching down the block, there\u2019s a line of people waiting to pick up pints of ice cream they ordered for about $15 a pop.\n <\/p>\n

\n Then again, it could be a blustery, below-freezing winter day on Mainstreet here, and there still would be a line of people waiting to pick up pints of ice cream for $15 a pop.\n <\/p>\n

\n The phenomenon is not unique to this quaint Minneapolis suburb, nor to the hometown A to Z Creamery, nor even to ice cream.\n <\/p>\n

\n But, in a way, these paperboard pints hold more than just artisanal frozen concoctions: They\u2019re 16-ounce windows into what\u2019s become a layered and complex US economy<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

The pandemic effect<\/p>\n

\n A to Z Creamery\u2019s origin story is a familiar one: a pandemic passion project turned side-hustle turned full-bore enterprise.\n <\/p>\n

\n In 2020, Zach Vraa\u2019s sales job was grounded by the pandemic. Left to his own devices \u2013 namely a finely tuned sweet tooth and a small ice cream machine gifted to him by his mother \u2013 the former star receiver for North Dakota State started vlogging the resulting frozen confections on social media.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cMy mission at the beginning was to create unique flavors that can\u2019t typically be found at ice cream shops or grocery stores,\u201d Vraa told CNN.\n <\/p>\n

\n That included a vegan snickerdoodle, cake batter ice cream with buttercream frosting, Funfetti sugar cookie dough, and his ode to the Chicago popcorn mix: a cheddar cheese ice cream threaded with salted caramel and caramelized popcorn.\n <\/p>\n

\"Zach<\/p>\n

\n His followers grew in numbers as did their intrigue about how to acquire said pints. When the requests started piling up into the 100s, Vraa knew he on to something.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI thought, \u2018There\u2019s an opportunity for a business here,\u2019\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Vraa stumbled into \u201cdrop\u201d-based entrepreneurism, where he\u2019d post his latest batch, take a limited number of orders and then schedule a pick-up in a public space.\n <\/p>\n

\n A to Z\u2019s success wasn\u2019t just a product of good timing, it also reflected a broader shift in Americans\u2019 spending habits.\n <\/p>\n

\n Money previously allocated to dining out, entertainment, dress clothes and travel instead fed the nest with home furnishings, electronics, pet toys, sourdough starters or whatever other ingredients were needed for the latest \u201cmicro-trend\u201d scrolling across TikTok and Instagram.\n <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\n When the health and safety restrictions were lifted, the spending floodgates opened in a different way. For some Americans, the pandemic impact was much more visceral and psychological: People saw how quickly life could change; how fleeting it could be.\n <\/p>\n

\n The YOLO (You Only Live Once) economy took root for a bit, and spending swiftly shifted to include splurges on experiences, including landing a limited-edition item at businesses like A to Z.\n <\/p>\n

\n A to Z still runs weekly drops, now with a rotation of flavors. The business is in the process of expanding with a brick-and-mortar soft-serve shop as well as pint delivery.\n <\/p>\n

\n In the aftermath of the pandemic, many Americans had plenty of dry powder at their disposal as savings were flush from reduced spending avenues; payment pauses, such as those on student loans; federal stimulus checks; and for many, the trappings from a refinancing boom.\n <\/p>\n

\n But, in the background, cost of living woes were worsening for others, and the wealth gap was widening.\n <\/p>\n

\"Shoppers<\/p>\n

\n For five years running, Americans have had to live with wallet-fleecing, budget-busting, paycheck-eating inflation \u2013 including a painful stretch where the pace of price hikes hit a 40-year high<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n Inflation eventually slowed enough for wages to catch up for a couple of years, but rising home values, income gains, and a booming stock market (supercharged by AI) deepened wealth gaps and, by some economists\u2019 definitions, further molded the economy into the shape of a K.\n <\/p>\n

\n In the top spur, well-heeled Americans who saw their coffers continue to grow were able to spend freely; in the bottom spur, those with lesser means felt a white-knuckled squeeze on their household finances.\n <\/p>\n

\n At first glance, the expansion of wealth<\/a> for many upper-income Americans appears to provide the cleanest explanation for the surging popularity of premium pints \u2013 or, for that matter, luxury offerings like A to Z\u2019s latest $100 anniversary pint featuring Champagne ice cream, caviar and gold leaf sourdough croutons.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, the inner workings of an economy \u2013 much like ice cream on a 90-degree day \u2013 can be a little messy. Plus, there isn\u2019t always one simple reason behind a trend.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cEvery year for our anniversary, we create a $100 pint because it represents what this company was built on: pushing the boundaries of what ice cream can be. It\u2019s our chance to showcase incredible ingredients, creativity, and craftsmanship in a way that\u2019s completely unique,\u201d Vraa said. \u201cTo me, it shows that people still value unique experiences and are willing to splurge on something memorable that brings them joy.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n Other companies behind premium, artisanal ice cream drops \u2013 including Underground Creamery in Houston \u2013 say their customer base is also economically diverse.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019re located in a very high-income neighborhood, and some of our regulars are coming from there,\u201d said Josh Deleon, who started crafting and selling small-batch ice cream on social media as a side gig in 2018.\n <\/p>\n

\n But for others, including those with tighter budgets, the ice cream \u201cbrings comfort, in a way,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019m very money-cautious. I didn\u2019t grow up with a lot of it, and now that I have it, I think, \u2018do I just keep it in the bank and invest in the market, or do I want to do something like going out to eat that brings me joy right now?,\u2019\u201d he added.\n <\/p>\n

\n For years now, the US economy has been pockmarked by uncertainty and volatility. But it\u2019s still chugging along: Unemployment is relatively low, layoffs aren\u2019t mounting, the economy is growing and stocks are hitting record highs.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, not everyone feels it<\/a>, said Wes Schroll, founder and chief executive officer of Fetch, which runs an app where consumers can get rewards for uploading receipts and that data is anonymized for brands\u2019 market research.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve heard from a lot of our customers is that they\u2019re frustrated because they\u2019ll look at the stock market, they\u2019ll see companies having record profits, but they don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re actually getting to share in a lot of the benefit that is being created by the economy,\u201d Schroll said.\n <\/p>\n

\n The post-pandemic YOLO spending binges have given way to micro-indulgences.\n <\/p>\n

\n People not only want to reclaim some semblance of control during choppy economic times, but they\u2019re also seeking out \u201clittle treats,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Or, as they\u2019re known at Denver\u2019s Sadboy Creamery, \u201cEmotional Support Pints.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\"Sadboy<\/p>\n

\"Sadboy<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI do see people needing a little more of that right now,\u201d said Sadboy\u2019s founder Michael Kimball.\n <\/p>\n

\n Kimball describes his customer base as discerning and consisting of those who seek an \u201celevated, intentional, thoughtful, quality experience.\u201d His pints are packed full of hand-crafted ice cream (they weigh in at nearly 600 grams, often heftier than those found in the grocery store).\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201c$15, it\u2019s not that much, it\u2019s not a really high-ticket item,\u201d Kimball said. \u201cIt\u2019s more than what (most people) are used to, but not so much that they can\u2019t enjoy something that\u2019s really good and have the quality over the quantity. They understand the labor of love that goes into it.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n So much so that they\u2019re engaging in an online battle royale to have a crack at the artisanal pints before they sell out (which this past week included \u201cCookie Dough-eo,\u201d a brown sugar ice cream with homemade cookie dough, dark milk chocolate shards, Oreo chunks and Oreo fudge swirl).\n <\/p>\n

\n With gig work on the rise both for economic and non-economic reasons, the digitally anchored and build-to-order business model (with fewer upfront investments and less overhead) has people testing the waters of entrepreneurship. (These ventures aren\u2019t free of costs, however, as they still require licenses, cottage food laws, access to commercial kitchens, etc.).\n <\/p>\n

\n Prior to founding Betty Jo\u2019s Creamery in Brooklyn, New York, Erin Forden and Maddie Nehlen had full-time jobs in the hospitality tech space, an area where AI was looming large.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cOur motivation was more about getting out from behind a desk, doing something physical, doing something tangible \u2026 I want to do something real,\u201d Nehlen said.\n <\/p>\n

\"Betty<\/p>\n

\n And in a world that\u2019s become obsessed with automation and AI, the tactile experience of hand-churning inventive ice cream flavors meets the criteria for \u201creal.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cAI can certainly one day help us grow our business, but AI can\u2019t make ice cream; it feels important to have something where there\u2019s a very critical human component,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n To that end, these businesses are also hitting on another trend: A desire by consumers to spend locally and bridge connections with their community.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI was a little hesitant at first (because of the price), but after the first pint, I was sold,\u201d said Mackenzie Angulo, a resident of Orono, Minnesota, (a lakeshore city about 30 minutes from Hopkins).\n <\/p>\n

\n Angulo follows A to Z\u2019s weekly drops but usually ends up buying pints every couple of months.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019m still a little hesitant with the price, but I think it\u2019s worth it to support a small business and what goes into it,\u201d she said, noting the locally sourced ingredients and handmade baked goods that go into the pints. \u201cBut it\u2019s definitely a treat for us.\u201d\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hopkins, Minnesota\u00a0\u2014\u00a0 It\u2019s a breezy, 80-degree sunny day on Mainstreet here and, stretching down the block, there\u2019s a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":783586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,101],"class_list":["post-783585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=783585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/783586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=783585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=783585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=783585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}