Driving Our Economy Forward: Clumpies Ice Cream Co.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Most of us love ice cream, from vanilla to chocolate, to possibly everything in between. Clumpies has been serving up unique flavors for 25 years in Chattanooga.

We are learning more about the company and how they have been driving our economy forward for many years.

Clumpies opened in 1999. The first shop opened up on Frazier Avenue.

Rock City then acquired Clumpies in 2013. Then the St. Elmo location opened, near the bottom of the Incline, in 2015. The Southside location opened in 2018, and that same year, they opened a food truck.

“Why ice cream? So, I tell people at the end of the day, how many jobs are there where your job is to serve someone happiness? So, at the end of the day, our job is to make sure that the people coming in are leaving happy,” said Senior Manager Ashley Bottoms.

“We have a classic menu, which is 18 flavors,” Bottoms explained. “So, those are kind of the tried and trues. The chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookie dough, cookies and cream. We have some Clumpies classics on there: firecracker…”

Employees say Firecracker is a Tutty Fruity ice cream that tastes like cotton candy, with watermelon rocks on top.

“We have four Valentine’s flavors. Those launched about a week and a half ago. And then every season we launch a seasonal menu. So, those are eight to twelve flavors that are season specific. So, this is where the magic happens. All of the ice cream inclusion sauces, everything that goes in the ice cream and the finished product is made here in our production kitchen over here on the south side,” Bottoms said.

“The ice cream is churning in our machine where the sidewalls are freezing and scraping the ice cream off of them. So, we’re both whipping it and freezing it at the same time, so it holds that air,” said Danielle Hill, Clumpies ice cream maker.

Ice cream maker Kaylie Gravitt explains, “Most ice creams take about eight minutes for it to be able to extract. Our dairy freeze and sorbets take about four minutes, then you can extract it.”

“We kind of have things sprinkled in throughout the year. We’re doing a makers collection pint pack with six local businesses in town. So, we’re developing a special flavor with each of those businesses, and it’ll be just available by the pint and a collection. So that will launch the first day of summer this June. So that’s exciting. Be on the lookout,” Bottoms added.

“We’re going to do a Jubilee celebration in October at the North Shore shop. So, just some fun things throughout the year to celebrate 25 years. So, next time you’re thinking about going out for dessert, we would love to see you at one of our three scoop shops,” said Bottoms. “If you’re thinking about a wedding or an event and you want to have the perfect ending to the evening, think about us and bring our truck or our carts. Or if you want to send a gift online, we can fill all those needs.”