Warwick Ice Cream: "From Cow to Cone"

WARWICK, RI – June 7, 2018, is recognized as National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, and in keeping with the observation the SBA's Lana Glovach and myself visited with Rhode Island original, Warwick Ice Cream. Founded in 1930 by Charlie Bucci, Warwick Ice Cream has been family-owned and operated for 88 years and has employed four generations of the Bucci family.

Located at 743 Bald Hill road in Warwick, the charm of the building is immediately obvious. Entering the doors you're met with the manufacturing center on the first floor and a flight of marble stairs leading to the office on the second. The stairs are a throwback to when the building initially opened in 1940 and adds a certain credence to Warwick Ice Cream's experience and longevity.

Today, we met with Thomas Bucci Jr, great-grandson of founder Charlie and the fourth generation of Bucci leadership at Warwick Ice Cream. Thomas, a graduate of last year's Emerging Leaders program, led us on a tour of the facility explaining how they create their signature flavors. Thomas' passion for the business is evident and his focus on quality is unmistakable, "“We source each individual ingredient; our cream comes from local farms here in New England so the dairy for what we are producing next week is still on the farm right now,” he said. “That process is so close to our facility that it really is from cow to cone,” he added.

Warwick Ice Cream has a long relationship with the U.S. Small Business Administration including the use of SBA loan programs for both growth and disaster recovery, participation in technical assistance through programs such as the Emerging Leaders initiative, as well as being named the 2010 Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business of the Year.

The Bucci’s understand that small business cannot always compete with big business prices and have adjusted accordingly, “People think ice cream is ice cream but there are so many different qualities of it,” said Bucci. “Our family’s philosophy is to make the best ice cream, using fresh local ingredients and charge what we have to charge. Bigger companies make their ice cream on a price point where you can get a product for $1.99 but you look at the ingredients statement and you can’t even pronounce the words that are in it,” he affirmed.

Warwick Ice Cream continues to create a premium quality product that is uniquely Rhode Island, and as such, they are focusing on other Ocean State iconography to partner with. There next such project is a Del's Lemonade flavored ice cream which will debut this summer. The future is bright for this 88 year old company and it isn't shocking since in small business, much like dairy, the cream rises to the top.

For more information on the SBA programs please contact @Ryan.Brissette@sba.gov, or (401) 528-4630.