Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches
Quality You Can Taste
From a Richmond farmers market to freezers across the country, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches has stayed true to one simple promise: never compromise on quality.
Before Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches could be found in grocery stores across the country, it was a much simpler operation. It started with two chefs, a handful of ingredients, and an idea to make an ice cream sandwich that tasted like it came from a restaurant instead of a factory. “We started with nothing,” says co-founder Hannah Pollock about her and her husband, Xavier Meers. “We’d buy ingredients, make sandwiches, sell them around Richmond, then use that money to buy more ingredients and do it all over again.”
 | Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches are available in grocery stores throughout the U.S. |
Today, Nightingale produces gourmet ice cream sandwiches in Richmond, employs more than 100 people, and distributes its products to approximately 6,000 locations nationwide, including Kroger, Whole Foods, Costco, and The Fresh Market.
For Hannah, however, growth has never changed the company’s priorities. “Our number one value is product excellence,” she says.
Nightingale makes its own cookies, churns its own premium 14 percent butterfat ice cream, and prepares many of the ingredients that go inside, including strawberry jam, banana purée, and cookie inclusions.
By keeping production under one roof in Richmond, the company controls every step of the process rather than outsourcing manufacturing. “We’ve always been committed to owning our own production,” Hannah says. “That’s how we make sure the quality never gets lost.”
Long before Nightingale existed, Hannah’s path included service in the U.S. Marine Corps, where she learned discipline, accountability, and the value of teamwork. Later, she attended culinary school, where she met her husband, Xavier Meers, a classically trained Belgian chef. Together, they built Nightingale doing every job themselves before gradually assembling a leadership team with expertise in finance, operations, food safety, and manufacturing.
Hannah believes learning when to trust others has been one of the company’s biggest milestones. “We couldn’t do it ourselves anymore,” she says. “We had to bring in people who were experts in their fields.” The same investment extends throughout the company. Hannah describes herself as a cheerleader for her employees, celebrating milestones, encouraging professional growth, and making sure people have the tools they need to succeed while maintaining high expectations.
Hannah Pollack and her husband Xavier Meers, both professional chefs, met in the kitchen and bonded over their love for spreading joy through food. They founded Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches after years of working to create a truly delicious ice cream sandwich.
Richmond has played an equally important role in Nightingale’s journey. The company got its start selling sandwiches at the South of the James Farmers Market before collaborating with local breweries, restaurants, and food businesses. The Richmond community embraced the company from the beginning, providing opportunities that helped transform a local favorite into a national brand.
Today, Nightingale continues to give back through food donations, healthcare appreciation events, veterans organizations, support for the Richmond Kickers soccer team, and mentorship for aspiring food entrepreneurs. Despite its national reach, the company remains committed to manufacturing every sandwich in Richmond. “It’s our home,” Hannah says.
TowneBank has been part of that growth as Nightingale evolved from a startup into a nationally recognized business. With guidance from Kim Wills, senior vice president and commercial banker, the relationship has grown alongside the company – from checking accounts and lines of credit to equipment financing and commercial loans.
More importantly, Hannah says, TowneBank has been a true partner. “They’re invested in our business. They’ve seen what we do. There’s communication, there’s trust, and they believe in what we’re building.” For a company whose mission is to create moments of joy, that kind of partnership has helped ensure that a simple idea born in a Richmond kitchen continues to delight customers one ice cream sandwich at a time.
By the way, banana pudding is Hannah’s favorite flavor.
For more information on where to find your favorite ice cream sandwich, visit NightingaleIceCream.com.