Dive Brief:
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has hired David Stever, former head of Ben & Jerry’s, as its CEO, the chain said in a Wednesday press release.
- Stever joins the ice cream brand roughly seven months after CEO Stacy Peterson left Jeni's to take a post as president and chief operating officer at Jersey Mike’s.
- Jeni’s launched a franchising program in September aimed at accelerating the growth of the roughly 90-unit chain. According to the press release, Stever will oversee a new phase of national expansion for the chain.
Dive Insight:
Jeni’s has built up significant brand awareness through its retail partnerships, which have placed the ice cream in upwards of 15,000 locations across major chains like Whole Foods, Target, Kroger and Albertsons. This retail ubiquity could help the chain grow its network of scoop shops through franchising.
Stever said in a statement that the emotional connections consumers have formed with the brand are “driving its momentum across scoop shops, grocery, and now franchising.”
Under Stever, Jeni’s plans to “invest in breakthrough flavor development, new product formats, and expanded consumer experiences,” according to the press release.
Another important factor supporting the chain’s growth is its average unit volume, which is significantly higher than comparable metrics at many of its franchised competitors, like Häagen-Dazs or Baskin-Robbins. That unit-level performance could help it attract operators interested in a buzzy dessert concept.
Prior to Jeni’s, Stever spent decades rising through the ranks at Ben & Jerry’s and was CEO from 2023 to 2025. He reportedly left the brand last year after pressure by parent company Unilever, which allegedly sought to alter the chain’s progressive values. Ben & Jerry’s voluntarily recognized a union organized by employees of its flagship ice cream shop in 2023, a rare move for a foodservice company.
Jeni’s board chair Brian Knez said in a statement that Stever “fostered a people-first culture rooted in quality, the guest experience, and a passion for the power of ice cream to bring people together.”
