Sweet News: Pretty Cool Ice Cream Opens an Irving Park Production Hub — and Is Going National This Summer

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Irving Park · April 25, 2026

Irving Park just got a whole lot sweeter. Pretty Cool Ice Cream, the beloved Chicago pop company famous for its wildly creative flavors, has opened a brand-new production facility at 3929 N. Central Park Ave. in Irving Park — and the expansion is a very big deal. With the new space, the company is poised to triple its output to meet surging demand, cementing Irving Park's place on Chicago's food-maker map.

Founded by Dana Cree — a two-time James Beard-nominated pastry chef and author of the cookbook *Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream* — and co-owner Michael Ciapciak (also of Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits fame), Pretty Cool has already sold 1.5 million pops in over 300 flavors and built a loyal following across the city. The new Irving Park facility unlocks something fans outside Chicago have been asking for: nationwide shipping. This summer, Pretty Cool will partner with Lou Malnati's Tastes of Chicago platform to ship its ice cream bars across the country — finally delivering a taste of the neighborhood to former Chicagoans everywhere. The company also has exciting new collaborations in the works with the Blackhawks and Dunning-based Eli's Cheesecake Company.

This is the kind of homegrown success story that makes Irving Park proud. Have you spotted the new facility on Central Park Ave.? Drop a comment and let your neighbors know what Pretty Cool flavor you're most excited to order this summer!

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/22/pretty-cool-ice-cream-to-triple-production-in-new-facility-as-popular-company-goes-national/