Serving up scoops of premium gourmet ice cream for over 80 years, Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Parlor has become a sweet staple in the land of 10,000 lakes. Although the parlor now sells primarily wholesale through local family-owned markets and grocers, Bridgeman’s was once a brick-and-mortar ice cream dynasty with over 100 storefronts across the state.
In addition to their original flagship shop in Duluth and as an ode to those good ole days, Bridgeman’s is bringing back the iconic ice cream parlor feel to the Woodbury community. With glass sundae boats and tin cups, house-made soda pop and fresh dipped cream, customers will experience a blast from the past.
“It is a new way of being old,” owner Crystal Bakker says.
Straying away from the trendy, unique flavors, Bakker says that at Bridgeman’s tries to stick with their traditional 31 flavors like strawberry, peppermint bon bon and butter brittle, and the parlor offers 25 flavors in-store at any time.
“People who grew up on Bridgeman’s … know and remember a classic flavor palette,” Bakker says. “Everyone has a flavor that they love.”
Through sweet treats and active community engagement, Bakker says that Bridgeman’s is committed to implementing change locally and globally.
“We have dedicated ourselves to be a social-impact business meaning that we want to create a positive influence on our community,” she says. “We want to make it a better place. We want to be there for families and children.”
In order to achieve this goal, Bridgeman’s has partnered with local schools and Common Hope, a nonprofit that supports education for children and families in Guatemala, through the Common Hope Coffee Sundae.
In addition to their work within the community, all four of the franchise owners reside in the Woodbury community, making it easy for the local entrepreneurs to connect with their neighborhood.
With the hopes of expanding to other local communities, Bakker says that Bridgeman’s will continue to be a place where people can come together to share experiences through the love for ice cream.
“Everyone that we meet has a Bridgeman’s story,” Bakker says. “There is a heart piece to it—the experiences—and [we] are looking to recreate that.”
By the Numbers
80,000: gallons of ice cream are sold each year.
10,000: gallons of milk used each year.
500: gallons in each batch of ice cream.
167: gallons of milk used for each batch of ice cream.
Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Parlor
2110 Eagle Creek Lane Suite 200
651.315.8985
info@bridgemans.com
