Our Story
We are Alison and Aaron, partners in life and in business. We have both been vegan for over 20 years and avid animal lovers, and this is the story of Runaway Cow.
Ice cream is in Alison’s blood. Its a fun way of looking at it, but it’s also pretty accurate. Alison grew up working in her family’s ice cream shop- a business that was in her family for 50 years. In 2001, Alison started experiencing health related issues that turned out to be an intolerance to dairy products. Having been vegetarian since 1998 (13 years old!) she made the transition to veganism shortly thereafter. Though she still helped run the ice cream shop, it was definitely disheartening to to no longer be able to enjoy the tasty treats she grew up with. This was essentially when the idea for what would become Runaway Cow was born. How great would it be to still be able to enjoy dipped ice cream cones, mix-in cups, sundaes, floats, and more but with non-dairy ice cream? Of course, this was during a time when plant-based option were nowhere near as accessible as they are today. The dream would have to wait.
In 2013, a unexpected opportunity resulted in Aaron and Alison opening a food truck. Though Alison had a background with running the ice cream business and Aaron worked in the food industry, neither had any experience with food trucks. They threw caution to the wind, and Early Bird Vegan Food Truck was born. Early Bird offered vegan breakfast and lunch fare- from waffles and breakfast sandwiches to BBQ Bacon Burgers and Chicago style hot dogs, not to mention baked goods like cupcakes, muffins, and cookies. The food truck ran very successfully for 3 years, with a growing fan base. Unfortunately, it started to become too big to manage. Both Alison and Aaron still had 9-5 day jobs, and did all of the prep for the truck themselves. In early 2016, they made the very tough choice to bring Early Bird to a close. Knowing full well, though, that they would be back.
In 2022, as the new normal began to settle in and pandemic closures came to an end, Alison and Aaron were struck with inspiration once again: it was time for the vegan ice cream shop. They spent the next year and a half searching for just the right space. A vegan ice cream shop is not a new concept. In fact, now more than ever, people are embracing plant-based food options. How would this be different? First and foremost, they wanted this to be a place that was familiar to them. Remember that family business ice cream shop? It was a priority to make a space that felt like the childhood excitement of going out for ice cream on a summer night that was accessible and welcoming to all. Second, we needed the perfect location. The location on the south side was a non-negotiable; vegan options on the south side are scarce in comparison to our northern counterparts. After searching for what seemed like forever, at the end of the summer of 2023, we finally found our space in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, a neighborhood we love and have called home for the past 14 years.
FAQ
🌟 You claim to be vegan, but I recognize some of the stuff you use--some of that stuff isn't vegan!
Yes! you probably do recognize a lot of the candies that we have in the store, but the best part is that those are vegan! So many of us eat vegan food every day--food that we like to call 'accidentally vegan'. We love accidentally vegan foods because that means that vegan food is already mainstream! A few of our very popular accidentally vegan foods are Oreo cookies, Nutter Butter cookies, and Biscoff cookies.
🌟 What is your ice cream made of?
Our ice cream is an oatmilk base. Oatmilk is naturally creamy, so it gives our ice cream a creamy, rich flavor. Our ice cream also contains a soy protein.
🌟 Why do you close for the winter--you should stay open all year!
It may be surprising, but people really don't buy that much ice cream in the winter. Closing up for a few months gives us time to reset and gives Alison time to just focus on teaching. Closing up also gives us a time to reflect on the previous year and build something even better for when we reopen each spring!
🌟 Is this a franchise? Can I invest in this idea?
Right now, lucky little Bridgeport is the only place in the whole wide world that has a Runaway Cow. It is very important to us that we build a place that meets our high expectations: providing excellent customer service and an exceptional product. We have spent three years perfecting Runaway Cow and while we will never rule out future opportunities and we are flattered with how often we get asked this question, Bridgeport will be the singular location for the forseeable future.
🌟 What made you do this?
Alison has a STRONG passion for ice cream. Like, really really strong. She thinks everyone deserves really great ice cream made to order, just for them. Alison and Aaron both have a STRONG passion for animals and our climate. So, we combined those loves and made a really fun vegan ice cream shop.
🌟 If you had to pick an ice cream shop that you are most similar to, what would it be?
We are most similar to a Dairy Queen because Alison was raised in one--her family owned the Dairy Queen on Torrence Ave in Lansing, IL for 50 years. Our menu has a lot of Dairy Queen items on it because, well, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.
🌟 So then why didn't you just keep your Dairy Queen. Why does it have to be vegan?
We challenge you to flip this perspective! Instead of asking us why we have to be vegan, you should ask ::waves hands:: all of the other places everywhere why they have to contain animal products. We created a space that started with the world that we wanted to live in: uncompromising in our values, but also super nostalgic, but also super delicious. We never said it was healthy and you won't hear us claim that. While we are sooooo grateful for the vegans that love us and visit us frequently, we want to show the rest of the world that vegan food can be just as good as what many would call 'the regular stuff'.
🌟 So, vegan. That means no sugar, right? It's healthy?
No, vegan does not mean no sugar. All of our products have sugar in them--we are sorry if you can't have sugar!
🌟 Are all of your items gluten-free?
No, all of our items are not gluten-free. We have a lot of gluten-free options, though, so please check out our gluten-free menu or ask one of our staff to help you! Please also make us aware of any allergies so we can do our best to avoid cross-contamination by cleaning machines for you!
🌟 Do you sell wholesale?
Yes! We sell our novelties and quarts to businesses across the city that sell our product in their shop. If you want Runaway Cow in your business, please email runawaycowvegan@gmail.com to get started!
