What is Sub Zero? Fresh – Frozen – Freedom
Before Sub Zero, people had to choose from a pre frozen product. Sub Zero makes it personal. We make one ice cream, for one person which makes ice cream personal.
The Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogurt Story
Jerry and Naomi Hancock were always drawn to the idea of customizable food. They started their culinary career by opening a New York Burrito in Orem, Utah, which allowed their customers complete control over creating their meals. Jerry and Naomi wanted to provide that same freedom with desserts. Jerry used his chemistry background from Brigham Young University to develop a method of freezing ice cream using nothing more than liquid nitrogen (which comes from the air we breath). His technique was such a success, that in 2004 he opened Sub Zero Ice Cream in Orem, Utah. Since then, Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogurt teamed with Franchise Foundry, turning a small, local business into a regional sensation. Locations can now be found throughout Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Florida and will soon be opening in California and other locations across the U.S.
Want to open a Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogurt restaurant in your location? Take a look at our franchising web-site for more information.
Our Team: The Inside Scoop about the People Who Own and Operate Your Favorite Sub Zero location.
Jerry Hancock, Founder / CEO / Chairman of the Board: As a kid, Jerry’s favorite ice cream was raspberry and his current favorite Sub Zero flavor is black raspberry and coconut with mixed berries, a cross between a smooth coconut and tart berry.
He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. As a teenager he sold apples door to door to pay for the National Scout Jamboree and candy bars to pay for a trip to the National Cross Country Championship. He learned at an early age if you want to do something, you need to figure out how to pay for it first. When planning for college he decided to join the 419th Fighter Wing – Air Force Reserve and perform traveling sales in the summer. While working on ejection seats in the Air Reserve he had the opportunity to get up close to a Mig 29 in 1991, a rare experience even today. He is currently a member of the 151 Air Refueling Wing – Utah Air National Guard. While being deployed in Guam he’s had the chance to scuba dive, where he floated his entire body in a blue cone sponge and saw a turkey fish larger than a basketball. Very fun experience.
After struggling to find a job in his career field after 9/11, he decided to take destiny into his own hands and launch his own restaurant. He figured that doing what he loved meant more than making a ton of money. After deciding he wanted to combine science and ice cream, it took him over two years of research to develop Sub Zero’s unique freezing process. All that hard work brought him the fulfillment he sought and he considers starting a company that redefines the way people look at ice cream to be his greatest achievement.
His varied experiences and love to create is why Sub Zero exists today. The Food, Science, Engineering, Sales and Design experiences is what prompted the what if… that later became Sub Zero.
Jerry’s work and education experience include:
- Sales
- Air Craft Mechanic
- Chemistry
- Industrial Design – Received patents in 1992 and currently our process is patent pending
- Software Engineer
- Food Service.
Naomi Hancock, Founder / CFO / Board Member: Naomi helped to define the product that Sub Zero would later create. She is the real ice cream connoisseur and approved the flavors as they were created. The great thing about Sub Zero is that you get to customize the product to be exactly what you want. Jerry likes hard ice cream. Naomi likes softer ice cream. She has found it interesting to notice when people don’t have a choice they put up with what is offered. When they have a choice, people become much more specific. Sub Zero offers ultimate choice.
She has a love of learning as well as teaching. She is an avid reader on a variety of topics. She particularly likes stories of the human experience and how the characters emerge. She graduated Magna Cum laud from Southern Utah University, is fluent in Italian, taught Jr. High English for 7 years, worked as Park Ranger at Timpanogos Cave for 10 Summers, and is currently raising four children, while trying to keep up with bookkeeping business, and ice cream trends. Her favorite Sub Zero ice cream flavor? Pumpkin with Cinnamon and Cheesecake Bits.
Vern Hancock, Founder / Architectural Consultant / Board member: Graduated from Idaho State University and has practiced architecture for over 40 years. He has taken an instrumental role in creating the look of the stores, paying attention to the special effects at the counter, lighting and the mood that is created by the lighting and colors used in the store. He was one of the first investors into Sub Zero. Prior to working full time for Sub Zero he was a professor of Architecture, owned his own firm for nearly 20 years. Prior to retiring he spent 20 years managing construction for a company with an annual budget of well over $130 mill. He is married to his wife of 45 years with 5 children.