Lappert's story

The first thing to remember about eating ice cream in the sun is that it melts fast. In the warm summer breezes, it not only melts fast - it sells fast. No small credit is due Walter Lappert, the man at the helm of a thriving cottage industry that began as a little shop for the "golden years" of his retirement. His first batch of ice cream was created on the island of Kauai on December 21, 1983, right after that Walter helped his son Michael open a manufacturing facility in California.

Outside of the state of Hawaii look for the Lappert's logo identifying our ice creams and coffees, which are sold through company shops and in hotels and retail outlets in the California, and Nevada.

Our hand made ice cream is "super-premium", containing 16 to 18 percent butterfat, compared with the average of about 10 percent in most ice cream - and we base many of our flavors on ingredients from far away and exotic places. "Kauai Pie", for instance, is a mixture of coffee ice cream, chunky macadamia nuts, coconut, and chocolate fudge. You can also indulge in such flavors as Guava Cheesecake, Kona Blue Espresso and Manila Mango.

The dream and hard work continues with Michael Lappert, the president of Lappert's Ice Cream. Michael, also and avid traveler, brings to the company the same obsession to quality. The opening of the California manufacturing facility in 1984 made it possible for the folks to have Lappert's ice cream and also taste the great tropical flavors from the rest of the world; look for flavors like Manila Mango, Costa Rican Plantain Cajeta, Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl, and Philippine Macapuno Peach Sorbet.

A question we sometimes get is "I was just in Hawaii and had Lappert's ice cream, is it the same"? The short answer is no. The company in Hawaii which makes the ice cream you had there is separate and distinct from my company here in the continental United States.

They make their products in Hanapepe Kauai and we make our products right here in Richmond California. I did inherit 50% of the company in Hawaii from my father Walter Lappert, but there is no present connection between the products of Lappert's Ice Cream here on the mainland United States and those of Lappert's Hawaii. You may see that there are flavors which are offered in Hawaii which we do not offer here and flavors which we have that they do not.

We think that Hawaii is a special place and some things you just have to go there to experience. As always, we make all of our flavors, from Kauai Pie to Vanilla Bean with all the attention and love you have come to expect from Lappert's Ice Cream Inc.