Little Man Ice Cream Rebrands Shops to Prepare for National Growth

Little Man Ice Cream has become a Denver institution since Paul Tamburello opened the first shop in LoHi back in 2008. It’s consistently ranked in our Best Ice Cream in Denver lists and, over the years, its continued growth has resulted in regular expansions, the most recent to Littleton’s Main Street, for eleven locations across the Front Range. 

Soon, the Little Man name will become even more ubiquitous. On April 27, the company announced it will rebrand a handful of its other ice cream outposts to bring them into the fold. They include Sweet Cooie’s Ice Cream in Congress Park, Constellation in Central Park, and Old Town Churn in Fort Collins. 

Sweet Cooie’s, which opened in 2017, has a nostalgic vibe; the shop was named after Tamburello’s mother. Constellation, meanwhile, is a walk-up kiosk in Central Park’s Town Center notable for the distinguishing 75-foot airplane wing it sits below. And Old Town Churn is housed in a 26-foot-tall wooden bucket inspired by an antique wooden ice cream churn. 

Little Man is known for its larger-than-life installations, a precedent set by the 28-foot-tall milk can replica that houses the original LoHi location, aka “the Can.” According to Tamburello, those dramatic elements will not be affected by the branding changes.  

“The unique features that made these shops so beloved aren’t going away,” he says. “We’re simply modifying branding elements, such as their names, signage, and fonts, to unify them with our other Little Man shops, allowing for a more cohesive experience no matter where you enjoy your scoop… .The last thing we want is to become another cookie-cutter chain without a soul.”  

However, Little Man’s Dang! will not be included in the rebranding effort. According to a spokesperson, Dang! will retain its separate branding, as the spot is devoted exclusively to soft-serve ice cream (and fries) rather than the more traditional ice cream served at the other locations. 

According to the announcement, the rationale behind the other name changes was to unite its properties “under a single, recognizable identity that honors the brand’s Colorado roots while setting the stage for continued growth.”  

Among the areas of growth are a national direct-to-consumer shipping effort, as well as expanding Little Man’s shop footprint outside of Colorado, all tied to the new slogan “Frozen a Mile High.”

For those looking to celebrate (or mourn) the change, Little Man has scheduled several events offering free scoops to visitors in the month ahead:

• Little Man Ice Cream Central Park: Friday, May 15, 2 p.m. to close
• Little Man Ice Cream Congress Park: Saturday, May 16, noon to close
• Little Man Ice Cream, Fort Collins: Sunday, May 17, noon to close

Little Man Ice Cream Central Park is located at 10175 East 29th Drive and is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9:30 p.m., Friday 3 to 10 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday noon to 10 p.m. Little Man Ice Cream Congress Park is located at 3506 East 12th Avenue, and is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. For more information, visit littlemanicecream.com or follow @littlemanicecream.