Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Salt & Straw

Salt & Straw is an American ice cream company based in Portland, Oregon. The chain was founded in 2011 by cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek. As of 2025, Salt & Straw has locations in seven states.

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 6 min
Length
1,395 w
Citations
35
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Salt & Straw
IndustryRetail
Founded2011 (2011) in Portland, Oregon
Founders
  • Kim Malek
  • Tyler Malek
Number of locations
50 (2025)12
ProductsIce Cream
Websitesaltandstraw.com

Salt & Straw is an American ice cream company based in Portland, Oregon. The chain was founded in 2011 by cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek.3 As of 2025, Salt & Straw has locations in seven states.

History and description

Salt & Straw began as a food cart in the Alberta Arts District of Portland, Oregon. Three months later the company opened its first brick-and-mortar location. Since opening in 2011, Salt & Straw has opened other locations in the Portland area and offers a home delivery service throughout the US.4 In order to ship ice cream nationwide delivery, the company packs its ice cream in dry ice and kraft paper.5

In 2014, US Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Salt & Straw with US Senator Jeff Merkley.6

Salt & Straw is partially owned by film star and wrestler Dwayne Johnson.7 It has locations in both Disneyland and Disney World.1 Salt & Straw is also the exclusive ice cream partner of Alaska Airlines.8 In 2022, Salt & Straw introduced edible perfume as an ice cream enhancement, which can be sprayed onto scoops.910

In May 2025, Food & Wine reported that Salt & Straw’s annual Upcycled Food Series has now diverted over 40,000 lb (18,100 kg) of food waste since its launch in April 2022. This includes ingredients like date seed coffee substitutes and whey-based "wheyskey."11

Tyler Malek of Salt and Straw talks to moderator Kimiko Matsuda at the Portland Book Festival on November 8, 2025. source ↗

Co-founder Tyler Malek wrote a book, America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams released in April 2025, in which he writes about his philosophy behind ice cream making.12 The book notes that Malek and the scoop shops are known for classic-feeling flavors like double fold vanilla (plus some incredible but bonkers-sounding flavors like Gruyere and tomato custard tart) and the book explores that methodology.13

Locations

Salt & Straw has locations throughout seven states.1 As of 2025, locations exist in:

Flavors

Salt & Straw ice cream source ↗

Since opening, Salt & Straw has gained national media attention for its exotic ice cream flavors, some of which are seasonal. Flavors including Bone marrow with Bourbon Smoked Cherries and Arbequina Olive Oil, are one reason Salt and Straw has been included on lists of America's best ice cream.1718192021

In 2015, Salt & Straw partnered each shop with different elementary schools to create flavors designed by children. Stop, Guac & Roll (avocado-vanilla ice cream with cinnamon-sugar-dusted fried tortillas) and Honey Bear (vanilla custard with chocolate honeycomb candy and edible glitter) were two of the flavors created.22

In 2016, Salt & Straw developed new flavors from food waste: edible by-products of the food production process. New flavors were made with overripe strawberries, spent brewing grains and near-expiration date vegan mayonnaise. Proceeds from the sales of the featured flavors from its Portland stores ($3,000) were donated to Urban Gleaners, a Portland nonprofit. Salt & Straw creates little food waste or scraps, because its products are frozen. When an item is no longer offered on its menu, any leftover ice cream is donated to a nonprofit.23

Reception

Salt & Straw won in the Best Ice Cream category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2015,24 2017,25 2018,26 2020,27 2022,28 and 2025.29 The business ranked second in the same category in 2024.30

See also

See also

References

References

  1. "Find your local scoop shop". saltandstraw.com. Salt & Straw. Archived from the original on November 6, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  2. Irwin, Heather (June 20, 2025). "Salt & Straw ice cream opens in Santa Rosa. We tried all 20 flavors to find the best". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  3. Anderson, Jennifer (June 13, 2013). "Salt and Straw: quirky, tasty, green". The Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  4. O'Hara, Gail. "Portland, Oregon: Salt and Straw". kinfolk.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  5. "A Visit to Salt and Straw". Kitchn. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  6. Mapes, Jeff (October 9, 2014). "Vice President Joe Biden pays surprise visit to Salt & Straw in Portland". Oregon Live. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  7. Beer, Jeff (December 9, 2019). "Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia invest in Salt & Straw ice cream to make cheat meals more awesome". Fast Company. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  8. Brady, Paul (June 15, 2018). "Alaska Airlines Just Got a Little Sweeter (Pun Absolutely Intended)". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  9. Acker, Lizzy (July 15, 2022). "Salt & Straw wants to put perfume on your ice cream". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  10. Francis, Ali (July 7, 2022). "A $65 Perfume for Ice Cream? In This Economy?". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  11. "At Salt & Straw, Ice Cream Is More Than a Frozen Treat — It's a Platform for Innovative Impact". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  12. Kennedy, Mark (May 12, 2025). "The innovative ice-cream makers at Salt & Straw serve up secrets and recipes in a new cookbook". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  13. Varriano, Jackie (July 15, 2025). "Scoop up a popular shop's twisted flavors for frozen treats". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  14. Russell, Michael (October 3, 2017). "Salt & Straw to open first suburban location in Lake Oswego". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  15. Russell, Michael (April 25, 2018). "Salt & Straw is going to Disneyland". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  16. Cuozzo, Steve (October 7, 2024). "Super popular Salt & Straw has finally opened in NYC". New York Post. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  17. Aiken, Kristen (February 5, 2014). "Salt & Straw's Newest Ice Cream Is Made With Bone Marrow". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  18. Li, Laura (May 9, 2013). "31 Days of Artisan Ice Cream". Redbook. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  19. Richman, Alan (July 30, 2012). "10 Ice Cream Shops You Need to Visit". GQ. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  20. "Bits and Bites: News You Can Eat". Wall Street Journal. July 9, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  21. Hanel, Marnie (August 30, 2012). "Salt and Straw Portland Chef Ice Cream Series". Bon Appetit. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  22. Centoni, Danielle (April 3, 2015). "Portland Kids Create Salt & Straw's Newest Flavors and They Rock". Eater.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  23. Cook, Dan (September 26, 2017). "Wasted". Oregon Business Magazine. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  24. "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  25. "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  26. "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2018". Willamette Week. July 11, 2018. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  27. "FOOD, DRINK, RESTAURANTS". Willamette Week. July 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  28. "Food Winners". Willamette Week. July 13, 2022. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  29. "2025 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Food". Willamette Week. July 23, 2025. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  30. "2024 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Food". Willamette Week. July 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
External links

45°31′44.3″N 122°41′54.3″W / 45.528972°N 122.698417°W / 45.528972; -122.698417