Meet The Franchise | Chad Hartley | Stella's Ice Cream

Stella's Ice Cream has redefined the traditional "mom-and-pop" shop by merging small-batch, artisanal quality with a high-performance, modern operational model. The brand offers both a vibrant, retail presence paired with a high-margin optional mobile ice cream truck and cart component, allowing franchisees to capture market share both in-store and at premium community events. Since launching its franchise program in 2023, the brand has already secured 12 franchised units alongside 4 corporate locations. On this episode of Meet The Franchise, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills sits down with Chad Hartley , CEO and Founder of Stella's Ice Cream, to discuss how the brand successfully transitioned from a single community favorite in Idaho to a rapidly expanding regional powerhouse with 16 total units. With a mission to reach 50+ units over the next 3–5 years, Stella's is focused on domestic growth across the United States, targeting a 300% increase in unit count by 2027 through strategic partnerships with multi-unit investors and community-minded operators. Chad Hartley's career began in the high-stakes environment of emergency medicine as a paramedic. Chad founded Stella's Ice Cream with a vision to create an elevated, "cool" alternative to outdated dessert shops. His background in operational efficiency and vendor relations is the engine behind Stella's 5x growth mission. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club now!