Whodathunkit? That’s the catch phrase for Spice Cream, a hot sauce-infused ice cream produced by Bonfatto’s, and it’s certainly fitting.
David Letterman, the owner of Bonfatto’s and its products including a hot sauce line and Spice Cream, will be featured on Food Network’s “Food Fortunes” on Monday night.
On the show, Letterman will have the opportunity to pitch his unusual culinary creation to a panel of potential investors. It may have sounded crazy when he invented the product four years ago, but Spice Cream is growing in popularity.
“My wife and I came up with it when we were at a hot sauce show,” Letterman says. “It was a very warm day, so we decided to get some ice cream and just sort of mixed it in to see how it turned out. It was delicious and all of the vendors liked it, so we decided to make it and that’s how it got its start about four years ago.”
Spice Cream has been on the market for about two years. It’s available in State College at Wegmans and Weis supermarkets, as well as smaller speciality food stores.
Bonfatto’s, which is based in Bellefonte, currently offers three variations of its ice cream with a kick. Jumping Jack Apple Splash combines french vanilla ice cream with apple pepper jack hot sauce and pecans. Sweet Peachy Heat Wave uses the restaurant’s Peaches N’ Scream hot sauce and granola. Rolling Berry Blastoff infuses ice cream with Razz Hab Sauce and peanut butter cups.
“What people think about it is pretty much what our tagline is: whodathunkit,” Letterman says. “They say, ‘Who would have ever thought of putting hot sauce in ice cream?’ My son and I go to a lot of shows and we sample it and the reception is always really great.”
Letterman has big plans for Spice Cream, and applied to be on the extremely popular “Shark Tank” about a year ago. The television shows allows entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses to a panel of powerful investors, but Letterman was turned down.
“Soon after, a casting director sent me an e-mail asking me to apply for ‘Food Fortunes,’” he says. “We made a video and they set up an audition in New York City a couple weeks later. Just after Christmas, they confirmed that I’d be on the show and we spent the next month preparing, working on our pitch.”
Letterman filmed his appearance back in January and can’t reveal whether his pitch was successful, but he does says it was an amazing experience.
“We’d like to see Spice Cream expand and maybe partner up with someone else who has an ice cream distribution system in place and go that route,” he says.
Tune in to Food Network on Monday at 10 p.m. to watch Letterman try and win over investors including former Fairway Market CEO Dan Glickberg and former PepsiCo marketing executive Sonia Kapadia.
Popular Stories:
Help Wanted: Penn State Answering Questions, Filling Holes At The Line Of Scrimmage
Penn State Homecoming Gives Back to Community With ‘Day of Service’
The Golden Years, Making the Most of Your Retirmement Plans
Penn State Relay for Life Battles Cancer With 24-Hour Walk
Drug Busts Nets Heroin, Cocaine, Guns & Cash
Handbell Festival Coming to State College High School
