It is true that their packages don't shrink. There's one in a nearby city that I'm very familiar with.
But at those kinds of quantities, their prices are 50% more than the higher-end store brand at the store that's near my house. The hand-packed treatment then literally doubles that price. We're now at 300% cost and we haven't factored travel expense yet.
Besides, if I kept their ice cream at home, then I think that would tend to lessen my enjoyment of sitting down and enjoying a proper sundae at their shop -- and that's not something I wish to ever diminish in any way. :)
> Find a locally owned ice cream parlor, and asked for a hand-packed half gallon.
I could be wrong, but I'd bet that my local ice cream parlours would decline that request - unless you can show that you're e.g. a restaurant and can commit to a certain order frequency, they're just going to tell you to buy as many 19oz "pints" as you need for $40/4. (A discount over $12/each.)
Man. The old-school ice cream place I grew up with is happy to sell bulk ice cream, in any quantity, in single-unit volumes ranging from a pint to up to 3 gallons. (The prices for this are on the website, and also on the wall behind the counter in the shop, though I'm sure that negotiation is possible for particularly large orders.)
They're even happy to package it with dry ice and ship it internationally. They've offered this service for as long as I've been aware of the world around me (several decades, so far).
They make the ice cream in-house just as they have always done, and they offer these services to anybody.
And while this ice cream place that I'm familiar with certainly does charge plenty, I've got to ask: What's wrong with your own ice cream place, my dude?
> I've got to ask: What's wrong with your own ice cream place, my dude?
So you got me curious enough to try to call up my three local ice cream places.
Spot 1: No phone number on either Google Maps or their website.
Spot 2: This was the spot I had in mind with my previous comment - indeed, they do not sell by any quantity larger than 473ml pints (I typo'd previous comment - 16oz, not 19oz pints.)
Spot 3: Happy to report that they will sell by the 3 gal bucket (or half bucket) for $150/$75, respectively.
re: Spot #2 and your "what's wrong with" question - this is a trendy place that opened about a decade ago, and I expect they're just not interested in taking lower margins or complicating their offerings - it's simply "take it or leave it" on their pints.
I just want to buy it in half-gallon sizes again. I don't care if it costs more :)