A Boise favorite, this Idaho ice cream shop keeps expanding: Next? ‘Across the country’

A frozen treats brand familiar to the Boise area is supersizing its presence.

Stella’s Ice Cream plans to open its ninth Gem State store soon — a franchise location in Idaho Falls, the brand announced on social media.

But Stella’s, which was founded in 2018 in Nampa, has bigger dreams. Stella’s opened its first out-of-state location last fall — a shop in Little Elm, Texas, according to its website.

Now the plan is to keep growing.

“We have franchisees opening up across the country very soon,” CEO and founder Chad Hartley told the Idaho Statesman in a message earlier this year. “Dallas, Philadelphia, Memphis, Indianapolis, Phoenix … among others.”

Hartley did not respond to follow-up requests seeking an interview.

In Idaho, Stella’s operates two Boise locations, two Meridian locations, and one each in Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell and Twin Falls.

With “every batch made from scratch,” its website brags, Stella’s offers a wide variety of ice cream flavors. It also sells baked goods such as cookies and brownies.

The original location in Nampa rates 4.6 out of 5.0 stars on Google reviews.

This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 12:52 PM.

Michael Deeds

Idaho Statesman

208-377-6407

Michael Deeds is a long-serving entertainment reporter and opinion columnist at the Idaho Statesman, where he chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. He started as a summer intern after graduating from the University of Nebraska with a news-editorial journalism degree. Deeds’ prior Statesman roles have included sportswriter, music critic and features editor. His other writing has ranged from freelancing album reviews for The Washington Post to bragging about Boise in that inflight magazine you left on the plane.