Abbott’s Frozen Custard

Abbott’s Frozen Custard is a regional frozen dessert chain that serves slow-churned frozen custard through walk-up stands and small inline shops. The menu centers on made-daily frozen custard, sundaes, cones, and novelty treats, with a strong focus on family outings, evening dessert visits, and seasonal traffic rather than full meals or broad foodservice. As of January 2024, the company operates 46 locations across multiple states, with its heaviest concentration in the Rochester, New York area and a growing presence in coastal and suburban markets along the East Coast and in select tourist corridors.

The brand’s story dates back to 1902, when founder Arthur Abbott began selling frozen custard along the East Coast. He later settled in the Rochester region in the 1920s and opened a permanent stand at Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario. That stand became the flagship location and a long-running local institution, and it shaped the company’s identity as a classic seasonal custard shop tied closely to waterfront and neighborhood retail. The simple walk-up format, modest building size, and focus on summer and evening traffic all trace back to that early site.

Over time Abbott’s grew from a single stand into a small chain and eventually into a franchise system. The company remains independently owned, with no outside parent or restaurant holding company, and continues to franchise new stores under its own brand. Franchisees operate in a mix of settings, from inline spaces in grocery-anchored and neighborhood centers to freestanding seasonal buildings in resort communities and near family entertainment uses. This flexibility allows the concept to fit in smaller footprints while still drawing steady dessert traffic.

As of January 2024, Abbott’s Frozen Custard counts 46 locations, reflecting measured growth from its Rochester base into the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic coastal markets, and select Southeastern suburbs and tourist corridors. Over roughly the last five years, the company has focused on extending its reach beyond upstate New York while preserving its core walk-up custard shop feel. The brand has entered new suburban and tourist markets, tested a variety of inline and stand-alone formats, and continued to add franchise units at a steady pace. It has also exited individual locations when needed, such as its Houston-area shop, which closed in 2024 as a market-specific decision rather than part of a broader pullback.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Abbott’s typically brings a recognizable legacy dessert brand with more than a century of history, a compact store format, and strong alignment with family-oriented retail and entertainment uses. Its shops tend to generate evening and weekend visits that complement grocery anchors, cinemas, restaurants, and walkable main streets and waterfront districts, offering a flexible, traffic-driving option for small spaces in convenience-focused centers and destination environments.