Portsmouth native goes from scooping ice cream at Ben & Jerry's to owning his own shop

NEWPORT — Tyler Rosenberg first started scooping ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s the summer he turned 14 years old.

Fast forward a little more than a decade, and he’s a franchisee two times over. The Portsmouth native recently purchased both Ben & Jerry’s locations in the city — one at 359 Thames St. and the other at 33 Bannister’s Wharf.

“People are familiar with the Ben & Jerry’s name, but I don’t think most people realize all the franchises are individually owned,” said Rosenberg, who turns 27 next month. “They know you can get a pint in the store, but you can also go into a scoop shop and get all of these awesome options.”

After graduating from Portsmouth High School in 2013 and earning a degree in art from Virginia Commonwealth University, Rosenberg returned to the area and Ben & Jerry’s in a managerial position. He had to attend what the company calls “Scoop University,” where he met many people on the corporate end of the operation.

That planted the seed in his head of someday running his own Ben & Jerry’s shop, and when the previous owner — who lives more than an hour away — offered to sell, Rosenberg jumped at the chance. He said there are still aspects to the ownership side, like sending out quotes and keeping the books, he’s still trying to learn.  

“I have a good handle on that, but I’m chipping away at it,” he said. “There will be times when things pop up, and I’ll say, ‘Huh, I need to learn this’ or ‘I need to figure this out.’”

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Rosenberg has the help of family members, who know and understand business. His father David and mother Nancy founded Newport Marketing & Events more than three decades ago, and his sister Brittany owns and operates Sweet B’s Donuts.

Seeing his parents run a successful business over a long period of time inspires him. 

“Watching them interact with people and put on an event, that’s on them,” Rosenberg said. “They made the plans, and they get to see how everyone reacts. That’s the same feeling I get when people are in my store.”

While he’s just one of many franchisees, Rosenberg says he wants to put his own stamp on the two scoop shops in Newport.  

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“There’s not as much freedom as you’d get with a local mom-and pop-shop because we are part of the franchise, but in terms of myself, I grew up here and know a lot of people in town. That makes a big difference,” he said. “We’re a franchise, but we’re not completely stuck in this system. We do things that we think will make our customers happy, and make our team happy as well.”

On Aquidneck Island, there is no shortage of places to grab ice cream, so how will Ben & Jerry’s stand out? Simple. Just follow your nose.

“The thing I try to push the most is the glorious smell of waffle cones,” he said. “I like to say that smells sell. As soon as that smell hits Thames Street, people just come flocking in. We want everyone to experience that every time they walk in the store.”

Another way to gain visibility is bringing the ice cream to the people. Rosenberg says he has a trailer that can carry up to six carts, so don’t be surprised to see your favorite Ben & Jerry’s offerings — he said there are 36 flavors — at your favorite Newport festivals and events this summer.

All in all, as a new business owner, Rosenberg just wants to give patrons a good experience.

“Our shop isn’t very large compared to other shops. We don’t have any seating, so it kind of moves fast,” he said. “But we have a two-minute window to be able to provide a nice experience with a quality product. That’s going to be what we’ll drive.”