In 2015, there was one
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream
: Audubon Park. And its owners, Kelly and Scott Seidl, had dreams of growth.
“We thought we’d have one shop as a hobby or a special project. Maybe two,” she says, laughing.
On the eve of the company’s 10th anniversary, Orlando’s homegrown ice cream shop has six scoop shops and 37 counter venues inside
Foxtail Coffee
locations statewide. You can get O-Dough and Cookie Monster and Banana Pudding in Orlando in Clermont and Cocoa Beach, Sanford and Sarasota. And soon, in its brand-new, 8,670-square-foot Altamonte Springs production facility, you’ll be able to see how your favorite flavors, and all the goodies mixed in and drizzled on top, are made.
“It’s surreal,” says Kelly’s founder, Kelly Seidl, a former surgical nurse whose ice cream dreams started in her living room between shifts at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
In the early days, she says, just wondering if they could make ice cream seemed a big enough question. The production facility will aid further growth as they serve Kelly’s locations around the state and set new goals, a practice that Seidl says has always been a part of the success.
“You always worry about the day-to-day, but looking forward is what has made us successful,” says Seidl. “Planning and setting rocks and goals is really what gets you to the next level. And it’s not always about surpassing goals, it’s about changing them as you need to.”
Strategizing, she says, is something she loves to do, and that includes asking other businesses how they do things.
“We have a lot of different friends in different industries, and they’ve been a big help,” she says. “There are things you don’t know. There are things you end up learning over time … It never hurts to ask a question and I’m never afraid to pick up the phone and do that.”
Seidl still tries local ice cream in every city she visits and remains open-minded about best practices, and though the Kelly’s recipe isn’t going to change, there’s always room for improvement at every level.
“There were ice cream shops I visited growing up, and they had the same things every year. They never changed. And while I don’t think you have to reinvent the wheel every time, being open to new ideas is important.”
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Right now, the new thing is the facility, which, with three batch-freezers and a brand-new continuous ice cream freezer for even larger batches, will not only be able to supply all the scoop shops and counters around the state, but also allow them to extend time on new releases.
“Everyone has always wondered how we make our ice cream, and now we have a place where everyone can see how we do it.”
Large windows into both the bakery and ice cream production rooms will allow visitors to watch the process. Tours will come later this year, Seidl says, and could further expand if additional “production facilities” come on line. The Seidls acquired 10 acres in Osteen earlier this year. And next year, she’ll turn 40.
“I told Scott I want a dairy cow for my birthday,” she says.
And while one cow is a simple start, it’s a full circle for a girl whose grandparents’ dairy proved a powerful source of inspiration.
“We can start with milking a cow and making some ice cream to see if there is a huge difference in taste, quality, etc. But, it’s a big dream.”
So, too, was one scoop shop. Ten years can change a lot. But some things stay the same.
Last month, Seidl opened Kelly’s very first hospital location inside Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. Philanthropy, often in conjunction with Orlando Health, has been a way she’s stayed connected to her nursing career. The move is a meaningful one.“We’ve always believed ice cream can brighten someone’s day, and we love the idea of bringing a little sweetness and comfort to patients, visitors and hospital staff.”
Ice cream, she says, is not a super-hard thing to do.
“It just depends on the ingredients. And the love. You can’t cut corners.”
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If you go
On July 20, Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream will celebrate National Ice Cream Day by offering 50% off ice cream (exclusions apply) 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the following locations: Corrine, Oviedo, Fern Creek, The Yard, Maitland and Horizons West, as well as counter locations statewide, visit
kellyshomemadeicecream.com/national-ice-cream-day-2025
for a complete list. Additionally, limited-time Birthday Cones (birthday cake batter waffle cone dipped in birthday confetti cone coating and strawberry
Yum Crumbs),
fillable with your ice cream flavors of choice, are also available at all scoop shops for +$2.
