Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, a rapidly growing US dessert brand, is relocating its production and corporate headquarters to a larger facility in Richmond, Virginia, in a move valued at $5.8 million.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that the expansion is expected to create 166 new jobs and support the company’s continued growth after doubling in size year-over-year.
Founded in 2016, Nightingale began as a small kitchen operation and has since grown into a national brand with handcrafted ice cream sandwiches now sold in more than 5,000 retail stores, including Whole Foods Market, Kroger, The Fresh Market, and Harris Teeter.
The new facility will span 29,000 square feet on a five-acre property built in 1983. Of that space, 24,000 square feet will be dedicated to ice cream production.
“What began in the kitchen of a Richmond restaurant has grown into something beyond what we ever imagined,” said CEO and co-founder Hannah Pollack. “Receiving this support from the Commonwealth is an incredible honor and a powerful vote of confidence in our vision.”
The funding and relocation are expected to further boost Nightingale’s growth while allowing the company to remain firmly rooted in Richmond.
With interest rising in ice cream franchise opportunities and demand surging for artisan desserts, Nightingale’s expansion reflects broader trends in the latest ice cream franchise market — where handcrafted products and regional roots are increasingly valued by both consumers and retailers.
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