Austin Ice Cream Chain to Open San Antonio Location
The Austin-based retailer will bring its specialized blending process to an Alamo Heights shopping center by summer 2027.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Austin-based Zeds Ice Cream plans to expand into San Antonio with its first location, expected to open at 7959 Broadway by summer 2027. The 1,300-square-foot shop in the Collection at Broadway & Sunset will mark the brand's first venture outside of its Tarrytown and Westlake operations.
Why it matters
The move represents a strategic scaling effort for the brand, which was acquired by Mack Brown and TJ Brogan in 2022 to grow the business beyond its Austin base. The entry into a new market signals the owners' broader plans to test the regional viability of their specific blended-ice-cream business model.
The new 1,300-square-foot location represents the company's first expansion site since the 2022 acquisition by Mack Brown and TJ Brogan. Future growth remains contingent on the performance of this debut site, with potential targets including Houston and Dallas.
The players
Zeds Ice Cream
An Austin-based ice cream retailer specializing in a unique blending process using drill-press machinery.
Mack Brown
A co-owner who acquired the business in 2022 and is managing the brand's geographic expansion.
TJ Brogan
A co-owner who acquired the business in 2022 and is overseeing the company's strategic growth into new regional markets.
The details
The company differentiates its product using specialized machinery imported from New Zealand that utilizes a spinning auger or drill-press mechanism to integrate hard-scooped ice cream with frozen fruit. The new location will occupy a space previously used by a K. Charles & Co. Salon, requiring a full conversion of the retail floor plan to accommodate the specialized production equipment. Owners plan to utilize this site as a pilot for subsequent expansion efforts in San Antonio.
Timeline
2016: Zeds Ice Cream is founded in Portland, Oregon.
2021: First brick-and-mortar store opens in Austin.
2022: Brown and Brogan acquire the business.
Summer 2027: The San Antonio location is expected to open.
Market Landscape
Zeds Ice Cream's entry into San Antonio follows a common trend of successful Austin-based food operators seeking to capture adjacent urban market share to scale their unique product models. The expansion aligns with the post-pandemic regional expansion strategy of niche dessert brands targeting high-traffic lifestyle centers.
Operators in the retail food space should track the site's performance, as it will serve as the primary proof-of-concept for the brand's ability to scale its specialized blending process. The expansion highlights the importance of matching proprietary operational workflows with high-traffic retail real estate.
The takeaway
Zeds Ice Cream plans to leverage its specific production machinery to capture the San Antonio dessert market. Owners looking to scale operations should monitor the site launch in summer 2027 as a test case for regional brand viability.
Further reading
For more news on new business activity in the area, see our Openings & Closings section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Antonio Express-News.
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