1972 marked the year that King’s Homemade Ice Cream Shops opened its doors. That year Earl King bought a general store in historic Milton, Delaware and eventually concentrated all his efforts on perfecting ice cream recipes and churning out the best ice cream on the Eastern Shore. 

Forty four years later, King’s Ice Cream in Milton and its second location, opened by son Tom and his wife Chris in 1981 in the historic seaport town of Lewes, Delaware, still serve its awarding winning ice cream, frozen yogurts, and water ices to thousands of satisfied customers from the mid-Atlantic area.

The Milton location operates out of the oldest commercial building, circa 1830, in Sussex, County and has an historic marker on the property noting its long history of serving the people of Milton. 

The Lewes location sits among the many quaint shops and popular eateries that line Second Street. The town hosts many events during the year and receives many visitors that come to enjoy the beaches, historic houses and buildings, and offerings of the town. Both the Lewes and Milton shops are in small close knit communities. 

King’s Homemade Ice Cream opened with the philosophy of supporting local charities, school programs, and town events. Radio, TV, and newspaper ads have taken a back seat to supporting local projects. 

Although King’s has been asked to expand to other locations, we have made hands on management of both locations, along with sales to local restaurants, our priority. This concept ensures that the quality of our product and its presentation to our many loyal customers remains a high standard.

In 2004, Tom and Chris’ daughter Chelsea and her husband Rudy joined the family business. Rudy took over the manufacturing duties as well as management of the shops. In 2010 they took over ownership of King’s Homemade Ice Cream Shops becoming the third generation to operate the business.