Contact
Cecelia Bender
PR Director
BRUNNER
11 Stanwix St. Fl. 5
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-995-9535
cbender@brunnerworks.com
In The News
PITTSBURGH TODAY LIVE – BRUSTER’S PJ DAY
March 24, 2023
The Pittsburgh Today Live team previews PJ Day in Pittsburgh with a morning treat featuring Bruster’s Cookie Craze Ice Cream.

DESIGNING AUTHENTIC INTERACTIONS: HOW BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM PERSONALIZES THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
March 13, 2023
As we close in on Q2 in 2023, the overall market is starting to see which loyalty trends are having the most effect on consumers this year. These trends keep loyalty programs relevant and engaging for members. However, determining how and where to invest in loyalty varies from brand to brand and often resembles a moving target. To keep their fingers on the pulse of customer loyalty, brands like Bruster’s Real Ice Cream continually focus on effective interaction with their customers....

BRUSTER’S TO TREAT FANS TO FREE ICE CREAM — BUT THERE’S A CATCH. HOW TO SCORE A SCOOP
March 02, 2023
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is saying “thank you” to fans with a free or discounted scoop of ice cream.
This month, customers who dress in their pajamas will receive a small waffle cone for Customer Appreciation Day, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania-based creamery confirmed to McClatchy News. Individual locations will offer the treat at a discount, or on the house.

SCOOP: BRUSTER’S ICE CREAM POISED TO OPEN IN VIENNA TODAY
March 02, 2023
Bruster's Ice Cream is ready to roll up its window in Vienna.
The latest franchise from the Pennsylvania-based ice cream company will open for business today (Thursday) at 237 Maple Avenue in Glyndon Plaza, a public relations representative confirmed to FFXnow.
The new shop will operate daily from noon to 9 p.m., following the same hours as other Bruster’s locations, including the one in Fairfax City.

GOING BEYOND THE BASIC FLAVORS WITH BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM
March 01, 2023
Bruster’s of Hendersonville owner, Nicole Fedorchek, and her daughter visited the WKRN Local on 2 studios on March 1st. They gave the Nashville market a rundown of why Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is a scoop above the rest and promoted their PJ Day promotion, which will be celebrated on March 4th.

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM CELEBRATES BANNER 2022 YEAR
February 14, 2023
Bruster's Real Ice Cream loves to celebrate – and celebrate it will after a banner 2022 year. Bruster's witnessed growth in terms of record-breaking revenue, same-store sales, and store location expansion, as well as the introduction of new flavors to the more than 150 already available.

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM FRANCHISEE IN FLORIDA SERVING UP CONES OF JOY
October 25, 2022
The taste of Bruster’s chocolate raspberry truffle ice cream in a waffle cone was the crystallizing moment when Anna Wytiaz knew she was destined to open a Bruster’s franchise location in her Florida community.
“My dad is from Pittsburgh so my siblings and I always looked forward to going to Bruster’s when visiting family,” recalls Wytiaz. “But when my mom took one bite out of the chocolate raspberry truffle she said, ‘We need to open a store’."
That’s just what happened.

WIDOW TO BRING ICE CREAM FRANCHISE TO HENDERSONVILLE AND CONTINUE HUSBAND'S 'DREAM'
September 06, 2022
Hendersonville’s Paul and Nicole Fedorchek had a dream to own and operate an ice cream franchise together.
They chose a brand that was central to their memories together, but not well-known in Middle Tennessee.
Shortly after the couple secured the financing in August 2021 that would allow them to move forward with opening a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream on Anderson Lane North, Paul Fedorchek died from an illness related to COVID-19.

SARA AND GLENN PILARSKI - BRUSTER'S OWNERS IN ALLISON PARK - JOIN RICK
August 30, 2022
Sara and Glenn Pilarski - Bruster's owners in Allison Park - join Rick to talk about what it's like owning and ice creams shop in Pittsburgh, which just got voted the #3 best ice cream city in the United States.

SERVING 'JOY IN A CONE', LOCAL BRUSTER'S RANKS HIGH
August 22, 2022
It would take one big waffle cone to contain the sales volume that Bowling Green’s Bruster’s Ice Cream store is racking up.
Selling such delicacies as banana peanut butter ripple, black raspberry chocolate chunk and even the occasional plain vanilla, the Bruster’s on busy Scottsville Road has been moving up the leaderboard among the franchise’s 180 U.S. locations.

PANDEMIC LAYOFF LED TO ICE CREAM BUSINESS IN FISHERS
August 02, 2022
Sometimes a layoff is the path to achieving your dream.
Take Ben and Tiffany Schlueter for example. When Ben was laid off from his financial services job at the start of the pandemic, the couple found themselves with more time to research a long-held desire to own a local, family-friendly business.
Tiffany fell in love with Bruster’s Real Ice Cream growing up in Pittsburg, and when she found out they were franchising, the business was a go.

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM BRINGS THE SUNDAE BAR TO THE PTL KITCHEN!
July 14, 2022
Bruster's Real Ice Cream brings a sundae bar to the PTL Kitchen, celebrating National Ice Cream Month with 9 of their over 150 flavors. With almost 200 locations nationwide, 11 of them - including the newest in Squirrel Hill - are in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Sweet Rewards Loyalty Members receive Double Points this weekend in recognition of National Ice Cream Day! Sign up now to get $3 in rewards instantly.

JESSICA AND BILL ARE LIVE FROM BRUSTERS!
July 14, 2022
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, Jessica and Bill took us to Brusters where they are celebrating Christmas in July! Try the delicious flavors at the Brusters on Robious Road in North Chesterfield.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH WITH BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM
July 07, 2022
The summer is the best time of the year at Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, and this July your local Bruster’s is preparing for a month full of scoops and celebrations, highlighted by National Ice Cream Day on July 17th. To get you ready for the party, here are some ways that Bruster’s loves to celebrate!
In honor of this year’s National Ice Cream Month, Bruster’s is releasing a brand-new flavor. Ultimate Peanut Butter Oreo®, featuring homemade vanilla ice cream swirled with creamy peanut butter and chunks of Oreo® cookies, is the newest combination to come out of the Bruster’s kitchen. July also marks Bruster’s 33rd anniversary, and what is a birthday without cake?

‘EVERYBODY IS SO HAPPY ALL THE TIME:’ ICE CREAM TRUCK VISITS EVENTS IN HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP
July 06, 2022
The ice cream truck operated by Bruster’s Ice Cream in Hopewell Township has been visiting events such as graduation parties and sporting events, giving folks the chance to enjoy a cool summertime treat.
“Everybody is so happy all the time whenever an ice cream truck comes up,” said crew leader Meghan Parrish.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 was there in June when the truck arrived for an impromptu ice cream social in the township.
“It's just a wonderful way to get our neighborhood out and really make things a little special for the kids,” said neighbor Bethany Pistorius.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN FISHERS
June 22, 2022
Being from Pennsylvania, Tiffany Schlueter was no stranger to the homemade ice cream Bruster’s sold. When the opportunity arose for her and her husband, Ben Schlueter, to open up a shop in Fishers, they jumped at the chance.
“I grew up in Pittsburgh and Bruster’s was the ice cream shop I went to, and I thought it was just a Pittsburg thing,” she says. The idea to open a store in Fishers started back in 2020 when the couple decided they wanted to give back to the community by opening a franchise. They did some research on top franchises to open and work for. That’s when they found Bruster’s.

PARTNERS FIND SWEET DEAL WITH BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM FRANCHISE
June 16, 2022
Dr. Ramez Assad and Tiger Najjar were childhood friends who became business partners as adults. Most recently, the two have become successful franchisees with Bruster’s Real Ice Cream. They opened their first location in North Olmstead, Ohio (just west of Cleveland) last summer and have development rights to open five additional locations in the area.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is a Pittsburgh-based franchise brand that’s known as the home of 150 flavors of premium ice cream, yogurt, Italian ice, and sorbet that’s hand-crafted in each shop daily. Each of the brand’s more than 200 franchise locations offers at least two dozen fresh flavors available daily.

TJ WATT HANDS OUT SWEETS ON FINAL DAY OF PRACTICE
June 09, 2022
Those Watts are good people. As has apparently become tradition at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ facility, T.J. Watt handed out free ice cream courtesy of Bruster’s to members of the organization and media during the team’s final spring practice before breaking for the next seven weeks, not returning until the team reports for camp in late July.

BRUSTER’S BRINGS RICH AND CREAMY GOODNESS TO APTOS
May 03, 2022
Even though Anjelica Yee graduated from Humboldt State with a degree in Wildlife Conservation, she’s running an ice cream shop that her grandfather bought on a whim. Yee has worked in the restaurant industry since she was 16, so she makes an ideal GM for Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, which opened a couple months ago in Aptos.
The signature ice cream made on-site daily is known for its rich and creamy texture. Also, the ice cream served is no more than six days old to ensure freshness.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM RE-LAUNCHES DAIRY-FREE ICE CREAM LINE WITH 14 NEW FLAVORS
April 28, 2022
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, an American chain of ice cream parlors, announces the re-launch of its non-dairy frozen dessert line. Made with oat milk, the new line features 14 vegan flavors which will be rotated at each Bruster’s location. The re-launch marks one of the largest QSR rollouts of vegan ice cream to date.
Bruster’s operates nearly 200 independently-owned locations in 22 states, as well as stores in Guyana and South Korea. The chain is known for serving old-fashioned, handcrafted ice cream scoops, cones and sundaes. For its dairy-free line, Bruster’s chose to work with oat milk, which it says “delivers a superior, creamier product, rivaling any other product.”

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM UNVEILS NEW NON-DAIRY PRODUCT LINEUP AHEAD OF SUMMER SEASON
April 28, 2022
Bridgewater, Beaver County-based Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, with independently owned locations in 22 states, Guyana and South Korea, announced that it is offering a new line of non-dairy, vegan flavors for the 2022 season.
The available flavors will rotate at each Bruster’s location.
Some of the non-dairy products flavors available will be: Banana, Chocolate, Chocolate chip, Chocolate raspberry truffle, Coffee chocolate chip, Cookies ‘n cream with Oreo, White raspberry truffle

JAGUARS COACH DOUG PEDERSON ON HIS ICE CREAM: ‘I JUST WANT PLAIN VANILLA’
April 28, 2022
New Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson wants to make one thing clear: He loves ice cream.
“I’ve always just been a go-to vanilla guy,” he said during a News4JAX interview the day he was introduced as coach in February. “I am not a flashy [with] all these different flavors and colors and everything. I just want plain vanilla.”
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence got the message before his new head coach was introduced. He tweeted a video on Feb. 4 showing Pederson’s sweet tooth for ice cream.
Lawrence had a surprise for his coach the next day. He delivered ice cream ahead of the introductory press conference.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM UNVEILS NEW NON-DAIRY PRODUCT LINEUP AHEAD OF SUMMER SEASON
April 27, 2022
Bridgewater, Beaver County-based Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, with independently owned locations in 22 states, Guyana and South Korea, announced that it is offering a new line of non-dairy, vegan flavors for the 2022 season.
The non-dairy products will be available in 14 new flavors including: Banana, Chocolate, Chocolate chip, Chocolate raspberry truffle, Coffee chocolate chip, Cookies ’n cream with Oreo, Mango, Mint chocolate chip, Peach Melba, Peanut butter made with Oreo, Strawberry banana, Strawberry, Vanilla, White raspberry truffle.
The available flavors will rotate at each Bruster’s location.

BRUSTER’S REVAMPS NON-DAIRY LINE: NOW MADE WITH OAT MILK
April 26, 2022
At Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, the team is constantly looking for ways to improve their offerings to better serve their customers. Bruster’s is proud to re-launch their non-dairy vegan frozen dessert line, now made with oat milk. With 14 new frozen dessert flavor recipes including coffee chocolate chip, chocolate raspberry truffle, and mint chocolate chip, rotating at every Bruster’s Real Ice Cream location, visitors are bound to find a new favorite. These flavors will be offered in addition to their traditional hand-crafted ice cream flavors made with Bruster’s proprietary mix from its own dairy expanding the menu to provide more options.

BRUSTER’S RE-LAUNCHES NON-DAIRY VEGAN FROZEN DESSERT LINE
April 26, 2022
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream re-launched their non-dairy vegan frozen dessert line, now made with oat milk. With 14 new frozen dessert flavor recipes including coffee chocolate chip, chocolate raspberry truffle, and mint chocolate chip, rotating at every Bruster’s Real Ice Cream location, visitors are bound to find a new favorite. These flavors will be offered in addition to their traditional hand-crafted ice cream flavors made with Bruster’s proprietary mix from its own dairy expanding the menu to provide more options.
Oat milk is a great dairy alternative for those who follow a vegan lifestyle as well as those with special dietary sensitivities or preferences. Bruster’s believes that using oat milk delivers a superior, creamier product, rivaling any other product. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is known for its full-blown flavor and freshness, and the new oat milk offerings are no exception. To confirm the non-dairy flavors offered nearby, customers should check with their neighborhood Bruster’s location.

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM FRANCHISEE USES PASSION TO CREATE SUCCESS
April 14, 2022
Chad McWreath said he looked at “many, many brands” when he was exploring franchise opportunities. “They were all wrong for me until I found Bruster’s Real Ice Cream,” said the 50-year-old Pittsburgh native. He’s had his first store, in the Squirrel Hill community of downtown Pittsburgh, open for about a year now and said his earnings in that first year were more than double what he expected. But he said there’s much more to the ROI with Bruster’s than just dollars.
“You have to invest in something that you are passionate about or it’s just not going to work,” he said of becoming a Bruster’s franchisee. “You have to be emotionally invested in it.” McWreath believes that a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream franchisee is in the business of making people happy. “Ice cream makes people happy!”

MONDAY MOTIVATOR – BRUSTER’S ICE CREAM
April 04, 2022
In this week’s Monday Motivator, we take a look behind-the-scenes at one of Bowling Green’s most popular spots for a delicious treat.

MENU TRACKER: NEW ITEMS FROM MCDONALD’S, WENDY’S AND APPLEBEE’S
February 05, 2022
Bret Thorn Feb 05, 2020 Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice Cream: Chocolate ice cream with maraschino cherries, chocolate fudge ribbons and cherry cordial swirl, $3.36-$7.81 depending on size and location

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM IN EXPANSION MODE WITH 29 NEW FRANCHISE DEALS IN 2021
November 29, 2021
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream has crafted quite a reputation for itself. Known for its more than 150 flavors of premium, handcrafted ice cream, yogurt, Italian ice, and sorbet, the brand is experiencing a growing demand for its sweet treats all across the country. San Diego and Cleveland are two markets where the brand has recently signed new deals. All told for 2021, Bruster’s confirmed 29 new development agreements with 18 franchisees across 11 states.

HOW ICE CREAM CHAIN BRUSTER’S IS SCOOPING UP WORKERS AMID THE LABOR CRUNCH
August 04, 2021
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream hasn’t faced all the struggles other food chains have during the pandemic. Same-store sales increased 16.7% in 2020, a record for the Bridgewater, Pennsylvania-based company. And they’re doing even better this year: up 26.9% so far.
The metaphorical cherry on top? The ice cream chain didn’t lay off any employees from its ~180 franchised locations either.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM SHOP OPENING THIS SUMMER IN APTOS
April 23, 2021
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream—headquartered in Pennsylvania with 200 locations throughout the U.S. and in South Korea—features 24 flavors that are handmade on-site daily, says Jeffrey Yee, who co-owns the Aptos shop with his wife Brittney Dexel.
The business is known among other things for holding customer pajama day, bring-your-own-banana day (for $1 off a banana split) and offering doggie sundaes.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM ‘POPPED OFF’ IN 2020, YET CAREFULLY VETS ‘ZEES
April 21, 2021
Is Bruster’s Real Ice Cream “pandemic-proof”? The phrase has mostly described concepts in the “essential” business categories such as repair, restoration and home services. But last year, 113 out of about 200 Bruster’s franchise stores set record all-time highs in revenue, up 17 percent in same-store sales.

THE GREAT PTL ICE CREAM DEBATE
April 21, 2021
Thank you to Bruster’s Ice Cream for helping us with some sweet treats for this round of The Great PTL Ice Cream Debate!

MENU TRACKER: NEW ITEMS FROM CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, TACO BELL AND LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE
March 12, 2021
Caramel Coconut Cookie ice cream: Coconut ice cream with a caramel ribbon, vanilla wafer pieces, coconut flakes and chocolate flakes, $3.38-$7.87 depending on size and location.

FROM SHAKE SHACK TO CHIPOTLE: 24 FEMALE EXECS ON LEADING IN 2021
March 08, 2021
It’s International Women’s Day — March 8 — and FastCasual is celebrating by bringing you the stories of 24 female executives leading the limited-service industry. Part 2, which publishes Tuesday, features 12 leaders, while Part 1 includes interviews with the following 12:

RESTAURANT CHAINS GO ALL-IN ON LOYALTY
March 05, 2021
Restaurant chains are giving more stuff to their customers than ever before so they can get their data. Several different restaurant chains, including giants McDonald’s and Burger King, are currently testing loyalty programs in the U.S., and a number of others—including the aforementioned chains’ rival, Wendy’s—recently debuted their programs.

AMERICA’S BEST LOYALTY PROGRAMS 2021
February 16, 2021
We shoppers all have our favorite stores or websites, and it’s satisfying when the places we’re loyal to, are loyal to us in return. A birthday present from Sephora? I’m not going to say no.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM SERVES UP PANDEMIC-PROOF RESULTS
February 09, 2021
As Bruster’s Real Ice Cream’s CEO Jim Sahene always says, the business is about opening one great store at a time. That vision, which guides the system of nearly 200 locations, has paid off. Capitalizing on customer engagement via technology, steadily increasing its national presence and evolving as the ice cream category largely remains the same, Bruster’s has proved to be pandemic-proof.

MENU TRACKER: NEW ITEMS FROM RED LOBSTER, JIMMY JOHN’S AND P.F. CHANG’S
February 05, 2021
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and some chains, such as Baskin-Robbins and Krispy Kreme, are betting that, 10 months into the pandemic, some heart-shaped treats are in order. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is being more subtle — its seasonal treats both have a splash of red — while Voodoo Doughnut’s monthly special is blue for […]

BRUSTER'S REAL ICE CREAM SURGES INTO 2021 AFTER STRONG YEAR
February 05, 2021
As Bruster’s Real Ice Cream’s CEO Jim Sahene always says, the business is about opening one great store at a time. That vision, which guides the system of nearly 200 locations, has paid off.

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM INTRODUCES NEW FESTIVE TREATS
December 10, 2020
The holiday season has arrived and Bruster’s is ready with its festive December limited time offers:

MENU TRACKER: NEW ITEMS FROM BONEFISH GRILL, WHITE CASTLE AND BLAZE PIZZA
December 10, 2020
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream

CONVENIENCE, ICE CREAM’S APPEAL DRIVE BRUSTER’S GROWTH
September 16, 2020
The Great Recession and its aftermath weren’t kind to Bruster’s Real Ice Cream as sales declines and stores closures hit the franchise. Adjustments the company made in subsequent years, however, began yielding sales and unit growth, and in 2019 Bruster’s hit nearly $80 million in systemwide sales, surpassing its pre-recession performance.

GOOGLE TRENDS SHOW COMFORT FOOD HAS DOMINATED COVID-19 DIETS
August 31, 2020
After learning the news that swimsuit season was going to be postponed (or canceled) for many this year, people decided to drop the salads and make cookie dough, according to a year-over-year comparison of key food search terms through Google Trends.

WHY 2021 COULD BE A HUGE YEAR FOR RESTAURANT FRANCHISING
August 30, 2020
High unemployment, low rent and cheap financing could make it a big year for franchise sales. But there are risks for both the franchisor and the operators.

AT BRUSTER’S, PANDEMIC DEMAND FOR ICE CREAM IS REAL
August 28, 2020
The chain has seen record same-store sales and unit volumes coming out of quarantine, as demand for treats soars. Jim Sahene didn’t know what to expect when dining rooms were closed across the country back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it certainly wasn’t record unit volumes at Bruster’s Real Ice Cream.

AUTUMN IS ON THE MENU AT DINERS, CAFES, PRICEY RESTAURANTS
August 08, 2020
Flavors of fall are appearing on menus as thoughts turn to apples, pumpkins, pears, squashes and comfort foods. Here’s a sampling of places where you can find your fall favorites at any time of the day.

ICE CREAM SEASON HAS GOT OFF TO A ROCKY START
April 15, 2020
A big bucket of cold water has been thrown over the start of ice cream season. While many national ice cream chains, which are usually open year-round, have remained open, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted locally owned shops. The mom-and-pop ones have either been forced to change their business model or have not been able […]

HOW TO KEEP THINGS NORMAL FOR KIDS WHEN NOTHING IS NORMAL
April 03, 2020
Birthday parties, Easter egg hunts and fun activities are still able to happen, even in the midst of a pandemic, with a little creativity.

BRUSTER’S COMPLETES 10 NEW STORE AGREEMENTS
February 13, 2020
INDUSTRY NEWS – FEBRUARY 13, 2020 – After reveling in 30 years of business in 2019, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is still celebrating as the company announced the completion of 10 new store agreements. With six stores expected to open in California, and four in Florida, Bruster’s is well on its way to expanding its […]

BRUSTER’S REAL ICE CREAM OPENS ON RM 620
January 21, 2020
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream opened its fifth Texas location Jan. 8 at 3303 N. RM 620, Austin. The ice cream shop serves sundaes, cakes, shakes and more and will feature a deck and an outdoor seating area.
