Adam Brackbill ’12
It takes courage to start an ice cream business in Harrisburg, where ice cream giants such as Hershey’s and Turkey Hill reign. Luckily, marketing grad Adam Brackbill has a strong faith and good business sense. His thriving homemade ice cream start-up named Urban Churn is proof.
“When I graduated college, I would never have thought I’d be making ice cream,” said Brackbill.
Taking note of the blossoming farm-to-table movement a few years ago, however, Brackbill noticed local chefs expanding their menus with more creative, locally sourced options. So in 2014, he started Urban Churn, concocting unusual flavors – a fan favorite is mango habanero – and using local ingredients whenever possible.
While Urban Churn can be found at a booth in Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market, Brackbill mostly focuses on filling wholesale orders for the several local establishments that sell his brand.
“They’re all original recipes,” he said. “That’s the most enjoyable part: coming up with something real crazy and seeing people enjoying it. Like ‘lemon, feta and thyme.’ People think the feta won’t be good in ice cream, but everyone loves it.”