Season 25 Episode 676
Think Engage Thrive E8 - Entrepreneur Harry Tulley of Uncle Harry's Ice Cream
In 1987, Harry Tully opened his first Uncle Harry’s Ice Cream Store in Virginia Beach, VA. Uncle Harry’s featured premium homemade ice cream made on premises, mix-ins blended into the ice cream on a frozen marble slab and ice cream cakes made to order. The menu also featured Columbo brand frozen yogurt and at the time, Uncle Harry’s was the highest volume user of Columbo in the state of Virginia. Specialty coffee beverages and fresh fruit smoothies were later added to the menu offerings. In the second year, Uncle Harry’s launched a wholesale division, selling bulk premium ice cream to restaurants in the Southeast, VA market, growing that business to include 40+ wholesale customers. The ice cream shop retail operation grew to 12 stores, including 6 locations inside Ukrop’s Supermarkets and 2 locations inside Farm Fresh Supermarkets. At that time the company employed over 120, with retail operations in the Richmond, VA and Virginia Beach, VA markets.
In 2001, Uncle Harry’s Premium Ice Cream Cakes were launched in the supermarket channel. Farm Fresh and Ukrop’s were the first supermarket retailers to feature Uncle Harry’s Ice Cream Cakes in their in-store bakeries. Tully spent the next several years developing the ice cream cake business at those first two supermarket retailers and expanding the program into Harris Teeter supermarkets. During that time, the company made a strategic business decision to close the retail ice cream shops and focus solely on growing Uncle Harry’s supermarket ice cream cake business. Today, Uncle Harry’s Premium Ice Cream Cakes and Desserts can be found in supermarket retailers in 41 states.
Prior to starting Uncle Harry’s, from 1982 – 1987, Tully was the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A, located in Memorial City Mall, Houston, TX. At that time, Chick-fil-A stores were located only in major shopping malls. Tully opened the store in 1982 and grew sales in that operation to a level that was among the higher volume Chick-fil-As in the country at that time. Tully was recognized on numerous occasions by Chick-fil- A corporate leadership for his strengths in marketing and superior product quality, service and cleanliness. Tully assisted other Chick-fil-A owner/ operators in opening their stores and developing their business.
A native of Newport News, VA, Tully attended Old Dominion University. Tully lives in Virginia Beach, VA. Harry served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of ORPHANetwork, a non-profit serving children and communities in Nicaragua. Harry currently serves as a Trustee for Essential Church in Virginia Beach, VA. Harry likes most outdoor activities but especially enjoys waterfall hiking with his wife, Terrie and enjoys spending time with their two children, Justin and Heather. Tully’s daughter, Heather, is Director of Sales for Uncle Harry’s, Inc.
