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Key Takeaways Pollack made an ice cream sandwich from scratch and added it to a restaurant’s menu.
People wanted more — and with just $20 and no business plan, Nightingale’s journey began.
Now, Nightingale is available in retailers nationwide and brings in millions of dollars a month.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Hannah Pollack, 40, co-founder with her husband Xavier Meers of Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches. Pollack, a Marine Corps veteran, started the dessert brand as a side hustle while she and her husband were working as chefs in 2016. She transitioned to focus on the business full-time later that same year.
Nightingale’s Cookie Monster ice cream sandwiches 12-pack sold out in Costco in just two days during its last rotation, and the business sees $3 million a month. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches. Hannah Pollack.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was a chef. Before that, I was a Marine, and after I got out of the Marine Corps, I went to culinary school because I had loved food and cooking my entire life. I wanted to spend my life doing something I was genuinely passionate about.
I loved being a chef. I loved the pressure and the intensity of working on a line. I loved creating something from nothing and the feeling of putting food in front of someone and watching them enjoy it. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating a product with your hands.
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