Thrifty Ice Cream Is Back, Baby
Tomas K - News Writer and Moderator 
As a restaurant editor who is infatuated with the savory side of dining, I don’t always obsess over dessert. But there is one clear exception to my rule: ice cream. In 2026, we live in ice cream’s peak era, where modern techniques, global ingredients, and unconventional flavors produce one mighty spoonful (including from a chef-owned ice cream startup that is arguably Los Angeles’s best independent pint shop right now). But my ultimate ice cream fixation hails from childhood: Southern California’s Thrifty Ice Cream.
The 86-year-old company’s future came into question in 2025, when Rite Aid declared bankruptcy and closed most stores, removing most of Thrifty’s full-service ice cream counters. For decades, Rite Aid and Thrifty counters were where most Angelenos found a scoop (or three) of classics like rainbow sherbet, rocky road, and butter pecan. During the liquidation proceedings, hundreds of jobs were lost, along with access to numerous pharmacies across the region. Many Californians wondered if these events marked the end of the brand, as well as whether a carton bought at a grocery store could match the experience of enjoying a cylindrical scoop of Chocolate Malted Krunch on a cone. (Note: to soothe my nostalgia, I have one of those unique Thrifty Ice Cream scoops in my home.)
In June 2025, Thrifty found a new owner with Hilrod Holdings, the same company that owns Monster Energy, which won a $19.2 million bid for Thrifty Ice Cream. In March of this year, Thrifty chief executive officer Dani Rothenberg told Eater that he’ll keep the El Monte plant open and the original recipes intact. Rothenberg’s team also developed a store locator to find independent locations to secure a scoop, pint, or gallon throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona.
On May 11, Costco locations throughout Southern California began carrying individually sized 3.6-ounce cups of Chocolate Malted Krunch by the dozen, with more locations taking the same path. Starting on May 18, Thrifty will ship nationwide and introduce a limited-edition run of Cherry Chip and Circus Animal Cookie. Shipping sizes are 48-ounce tubs, along with the same 12-packs available at Costco, and can be ordered on the Thrifty Ice Cream website.
The company is putting finishing touches on a Thrifty Ice Cream truck that will roam the Southland during hot summer months. It has also developed a new sherbet to commemorate the Semiquincentennial of the United States, called Red, White, and Blue (its flavors are cherry, lemon, and blue raspberry), which is already headed to retailers. (In the next two weeks, RWB will be available to buy in Albertsons stores.) A retired flavor will make a permanent return: Thrifty’s sprinkle-pocked Birthday Cake. Food4Less will also have Thrifty’s limited editions, classic flavors, and RWB in the coming weeks, with more grocers added to the distributor list.
Keep an eye out for the new packaging, the new look, and get thee a scoop as the weather warms up.
More for the table
- If you haven’t read my story about Henry’s Secret Ice Cream by Antico Nuovo veteran chef Bradley Ray, now is the time.
- For an online tour of Thrifty’s El Monte factory, Eater Los Angeles’s 2023 story remains worth the re-read.
- Our audience editor, Kat Thompson, loves Hawaiian shaved ice, bingsu, and kakigori, all of which are available throughout the Southland. Take a look at her favorite picks.
