Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
Jeni Britton Bauer opened Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio’s historic North Market, and now with her small team operates 15 shops from Chicago to Atlanta. Pints and ice cream sandwiches are also available at more than 900 US groceries, as well as online through Jeni’s home-shipping business.
Partnering with Ohio farms, Direct Trade growers and producers, and women-led businesses, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams employs a diverse working community and incorporates recycling programs into its business model. The company is a certified B Corporation.
Jeni and her hands-on crew make every batch of ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in their kitchens in Columbus. To build everything from the ground up, they use cream from grass-grazed Ohio cows, whole fruits, vegetables, and herbs from nearby farms, as well as carefully sourced ingredients from around the world, including rare, fair-trade vanilla and bean-to-bar direct trade chocolate. Signature Flavors, such as Salty Caramel and Pistachio & Honey, anchor a menu that also includes limited-edition, quarterly flavor collections inspired by the seasons, pop culture, culinary history, and world trends.1
Jeni’s art background inspires her creative process in the kitchen. “An artist is first a researcher. Gathering information, configuring and reconfiguring components, and working and reworking texture,” says Jeni. “Our whole company adheres as much to an artist’s credo as that of business — that we keep searching, we are never finished, always critical of our own work, and always willing to devote whatever it takes to make ice creams, service, and artwork that only we can make.”
Jeni’s first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, is a New York Times bestseller and winner of a James Beard Award. Jeni’s latest book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts, was published in 2014. In 2015, she was dubbed one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. Most recently, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration from Ohio State University. 2