
Building an ice cream empire from scratch is a dream many aspire to, but the journey is fraught with challenges, as Ample Hills Creamery co-founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith discovered firsthand.
Their venture began modestly in 2011, with the opening of their first Ample Hills store in Brooklyn, New York, following the success of an ice cream pushcart. By 2020, Ample Hills boasted 13 scoop shops, a thriving online store shipping nationwide, and an estimated net worth of $40 million. Yet, despite these apparent successes, the company faced a sudden downfall.