Tom Carvel

Tom Carvel[edit | edit source]

Tom Carvel (born Athanasios Thomas Karvelas; July 14, 1906 – October 21, 1990) was an American entrepreneur and inventor, known for the invention of soft serve ice cream and the establishment of the Carvel brand and corporation.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Tom Carvel was born in Athens, Greece, and immigrated to the United States in 1910. He grew up in Connecticut and later moved to New York City to seek employment during the Great Depression.

Career[edit | edit source]

In 1934, Carvel borrowed $15 from his future wife Agnes and bought a broken down ice cream truck. After his truck got a flat tire in Hartsdale, New York, he started selling his melting ice cream on the spot. He soon found that the soft, partially melted ice cream was more popular than the fully frozen product, leading to the invention of soft serve ice cream.

In 1936, Carvel established the first Carvel Brand Corporation retail store in Hartsdale, which would later become the company's headquarters. He developed and patented a proprietary soft serve ice cream machine, the "Carvel Super Freeze", which allowed for the production of the soft serve ice cream directly at the point of sale.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Carvel's innovative approach to the ice cream business, including his invention of soft serve ice cream and the establishment of the Carvel brand, has had a lasting impact on the ice cream industry. Today, the Carvel Corporation operates over 400 stores in the United States and internationally, continuing to serve Carvel's original soft serve recipe.