It all began in 1982
on Oahu.
Our humble beginnings
Dave’s Ice Cream is an iconic Hawaii success story rooted in hard work and the aloha spirit. Dave got into the business because of his dad's love of ice cream. He used to see his dad sitting in front of their black and white TV eating out of a half gallon of Meadow Gold ice cream.
Dave's Ice Cream was founded on the leeward side of Oahu in Waianae. When he first started in 1982, Dave was actually selling Meadow Gold products. During this time he had his heart set on providing the freshest ice cream in Hawaii. He bought some used equipment and got a book from the library on how to make ice cream. Soon after, Dave was making his own. By making his ice cream from scratch he was able to gather the best local ingredients to create truly unique flavors that connected to the Hawaii experience.
The legend grows
The demand for Dave’s Ice Cream created a good problem. He needed more space! Outgrowing two factories in his early years, he made the move to his present location in the summer of 1984. Once he had his dream facility in place he was able to really focus on being Hawaii’s ice cream innovator.
It wasn’t always glamorous, but after many trials and errors he would discover the most amazing local flavor combinations. People started taking notice - literally, he was featured in People magazine! His fresh Poha ice cream has been included in the book ‘The Very Best Ice Cream‘ and People Magazine named his Coconut Macadamia Nut one of the ‘Top 5 Exotic Ice Creams in America’. At home in Hawaii, Honolulu Star Bulletin writer Pierre Bowman wrote, “Dave’s has the others beat cold.”
The awards started coming in year after year. He was so grateful for each and every one of them! That’s when he realized he was actually ‘Hawaii’s Best Ice Cream’. Not because he was saying it, because everyone else was saying it.
By 1995, Dave had come full circle and was actually producing all of Meadow Gold's 3 gallon containers that were delivered to restaurants and institutional accounts. The relationship ended when Dean Foods (the owner of Meadow Gold) filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Dave was fortunate enough to keep most of the accounts throughout the state.
Where we are today
What started as an ice cream dream is now a tradition that spans multiple generations. Today Dave's remains Hawaii’s best ice cream and the only ice cream made on Oahu. His unique local flavors can now be found in over 180 restaurants, grocery stores and even in Dave's ice-cream parlors across the islands.
Dave is grateful to everyone who lives in (or visits) Hawaii for all of their support over the past 40+ years. The thing he cherishes the most are the decades of memories that people have shared with his ice cream bringing people together.
By purchasing Dave’s Ice Cream you are supporting local businesses and manufacturers in Hawaii.
So please, come and enjoy a taste of paradise!