King of Pops

King of Pops is an Atlanta-based artisan popsicle company founded by brothers Steven and Nick Carse in 2010. The business emerged after Steven Carse lost his analyst job at AIG in 2009, an event that helped prompt the brothers to pursue a frozen-treat venture. In April 2010, the company began selling popsicles from a pushcart at a gas station in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland neighborhood. From that modest start, King of Pops developed a distinctive mobile-food model built around brightly branded carts, direct interaction with customers, and flavors made with relatively short ingredient lists. The brand’s principal business activities include popsicle production, pushcart retailing, catering, wholesale distribution, and operation of walk-up beverage and dessert venues. Its products have been sold through high-end delis, urban markets, and Whole Foods Market locations, as well as at sporting venues and community events. The company has operated approximately 95 pushcarts and two customized ice cream trucks, while also maintaining retail activity in cities including Athens, Georgia; Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina. In Atlanta, it operates walk-up bars offering pop-tails and slushies, in addition to a service window at its Inman Park headquarters. Product development is a central part of the brand identity. King of Pops has created almost 500 flavors over time, with many recipes using approximately three to five ingredients. Its flavor range includes fruit-forward combinations such as Raspberry Lime, Strawberry Lemonade, Blackberry Ginger Lemonade, and Blueberry Lemonade; dessert-inspired varieties such as Cookies n’ Cream, Banana Puddin’, and Chocolate Sea Salt; and more seasonal or experimental combinations including Orange Basil, Pineapple Habanero, Pear Vanilla, Apple Cider, and White Chocolate Peppermint. The company organizes its offerings around year-round and seasonal flavors, allowing it to use ingredients associated with different times of the year while continuing to introduce novelty. King of Pops has also pursued activities beyond conventional frozen-dessert retail. In 2012, it introduced Tree Elves, a seasonal service in which employees dressed as elves delivered potted Christmas trees, collected them after the holidays, and sent them to the company’s Farm King of Crops for composting. In 2014, the company purchased a 68-acre farm in Douglasville, Georgia, with plans to grow ingredients such as mint, basil, lemongrass, ginger, berries, and melons for use in its products. This initiative connected the brand’s sourcing story with local agriculture and composting. The company expanded its presence at sports venues during the 2010s, beginning sales at Turner Field during Atlanta Braves home games in 2015 and adding First Tennessee Park during Nashville Sounds home games in 2018. It was also the subject of a fictionalized stage production, King of Pops: The Post Apocalyptic Musical, presented by Dad’s Garage Theatre Company in Atlanta in 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic created a major operational setback in 2020 because corporate gatherings, sporting events, and spring festivals were canceled. The company reportedly laid off half of its workforce during the disruption, while simultaneously organizing a campaign to donate 10,000 pops to hospital and urgent-care workers. King of Pops later pursued a more formal expansion model: in 2022 it began franchising carts through its Cartrepreneurs program. Reference material reported 38 franchises across six states by June 2024. In 2023, the brand began operating carts in Decatur, Georgia, through a mobile-food-vendor program created by the city and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority. Today, King of Pops is best understood as a regional specialty-food brand combining handcrafted frozen products with mobile retail, catering, wholesale, seasonal programming, and franchise-based distribution.

King of Pops was established in Atlanta in 2010 by brothers Steven and Nick Carse. The venture followed Steven Carse’s 2009 layoff from an analyst position at AIG, which became the immediate catalyst for the brothers to develop a frozen-treat business. In April 2010, the company began selling popsicles from a pushcart at a gas station in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland neighborhood. The early operating model relied on direct sales from mobile carts rather than a conventional chain of fixed stores, helping the brand connect its products with Atlanta neighborhoods, outdoor events, and spontaneous consumption. The company expanded from its initial cart into a broader combination of carts, catering, wholesale, and venue sales. Its popsicles became available through high-end delis, urban markets, and Whole Foods Market locations. King of Pops also established a window shop at its Inman Park headquarters and developed walk-up bars in Atlanta serving pop-tails and slushies. Over time, the company operated approximately 95 pushcarts and two customized ice cream trucks. Its retail and franchise footprint extended beyond Atlanta to markets including Athens, Charleston, Greenville, Richmond, Nashville, and Charlotte. Flavor experimentation became one of the company’s defining characteristics. King of Pops has produced almost 500 flavors, with many recipes built around only three to five ingredients. The portfolio combines fruit, herbs, spices, dairy, and dessert references. Popular flavors include Chocolate Sea Salt, Raspberry Lime, Cookies n’ Cream, Banana Puddin’, Orange Basil, and Strawberry Lemonade. The company has also used seasonal rotations, offering combinations such as Fresh Peach and Blood Orange in spring, Pineapple Habanero and Peaches n’ Cream in summer, Pear Vanilla and Blueberry Cobbler in autumn, and Apple Cider, Salted Caramel, and White Chocolate Peppermint in winter. The brand’s development has included agricultural and environmental initiatives. In 2012, it launched Tree Elves, a seasonal Christmas-tree delivery and collection operation. Customers received potted trees from employees dressed as elves; after the holidays, the trees were retrieved and transported to Farm King of Crops for composting. In 2014, King of Pops purchased a 68-acre farm in Douglasville, Georgia, intending to grow ingredients such as mint, basil, lemongrass, ginger, berries, and melons. The farm linked the company’s product story to local cultivation and circular use of organic material. Sports and entertainment partnerships provided additional exposure. King of Pops began selling at Turner Field during Atlanta Braves home games in 2015 and added First Tennessee Park during Nashville Sounds games in 2018. Also in 2015, Dad’s Garage Theatre Company staged King of Pops: The Post Apocalyptic Musical, a fictionalized interpretation of Steven Carse’s story written by Mike Schatz and directed by Tom Rittenhouse. The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption in 2020. Corporate events, sporting events, and spring gatherings were canceled, removing important channels for mobile and catering sales. The company reportedly responded by laying off 50 percent of its workforce. At the same time, it organized a fundraising and donation campaign intended to provide 10,000 pops to hospital and urgent-care workers. After the pandemic period, King of Pops pursued expansion through franchising. In 2022, it introduced Cartrepreneurs, a program designed to allow franchise operators to run King of Pops carts. Reference material reported 38 franchises in six states by June 2024. The company also entered Decatur in 2023 through a city mobile-food-vendor program developed with the Decatur Downtown Development Authority. This followed a 2019 records-based investigation into Decatur’s earlier promotion of Steel City Pops over King of Pops. The available material does not establish a legal finding of wrongdoing. King of Pops remains an active regional specialty-food brand whose identity rests on handcrafted popsicles, mobile retail, seasonal programming, and community-oriented distribution.

• 2023

  Decatur cart operations begin

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  King of Pops joined Decatur’s mobile-food-vendor program.

• 2022

  Cartrepreneurs franchising program begins

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  King of Pops introduced a franchise model for its branded popsicle carts.

• 2020

  COVID-19 operating disruption

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  Canceled events led to major workforce reductions, while the company organized a healthcare-worker donation effort.

• 2018

  Nashville baseball venue expansion

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  The company began selling at First Tennessee Park during Nashville Sounds home games.

• 2015

  Turner Field sales begin

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand entered Atlanta Braves home games as a stadium-vendor offering.

• 2014

  Douglasville farm acquired

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  King of Pops purchased a 68-acre farm intended to supply ingredients for its products.

• 2012

  Tree Elves launches

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  The company began delivering and later collecting potted Christmas trees for composting through a seasonal service.

• 2010

  King of Pops is founded

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  Steven and Nick Carse established King of Pops in Atlanta, beginning sales from a pushcart in Poncey-Highland.

• 2009

  Steven Carse loses his analyst job

  [1]King of Popsen.wikipedia.org

  Steven Carse’s layoff from AIG became the immediate impetus for the brothers to pursue a frozen-treat business.

A playful, community-oriented artisan frozen-dessert brand emphasizing inventive flavors, relatively simple recipes, seasonal ingredients, mobile-cart accessibility, catering, and regional identity.

• Popsicles

  Fruit pops

  Fruit-led popsicles form a major part of the King of Pops range. They combine fruit juices or purées with complementary ingredients such as citrus, ginger, herbs, and tea. Representative flavors include Raspberry Lime, Strawberry Lemonade, Blackberry Ginger Lemonade, Blueberry Lemonade, and Blood Orange. These products support the brand’s bright, refreshing, and seasonal positioning.

• Popsicles

  Cream and dessert pops

  Cream-based and dessert-inspired pops translate familiar sweets into frozen formats. The range includes Cookies n’ Cream, Banana Puddin’, Strawberries n’ Cream, Orange Cream, Banana Caramel, and Chocolate Sea Salt. These flavors broaden the brand beyond fruit refreshment and give it a richer, indulgent segment while retaining the individually served popsicle format.

• Popsicles

  Seasonal and experimental pops

  King of Pops regularly uses seasonal rotations and unusual ingredient pairings to maintain variety. Examples include Orange Basil, Pineapple Habanero, Peaches n’ Cream, Pear Vanilla, Blueberry Cobbler, Apple Cider, Salted Caramel, White Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate Orange, and Maple Brown Sugar. The company has reportedly developed nearly 500 flavors over its history.

• Frozen and mixed beverages

  Pop-tails and slushies

  At its Atlanta walk-up bars, King of Pops extends the popsicle concept into beverages and adult-oriented frozen refreshments. The venues serve pop-tails and slushies, creating an additional consumption occasion beyond cart-based popsicle sales and supporting the brand’s event and neighborhood-retail presence.

• 2020Healthcare-worker pops donation campaign

  United States

  During the COVID-19 crisis, King of Pops raised funds to distribute 10,000 pops to hospital and urgent-care workers while its event business was disrupted.

  Outcome. The campaign provided a community-support initiative during a period of canceled events and workforce reductions.

  Source
• 2012Tree Elves

  Atlanta, Georgia

  King of Pops delivered potted Christmas trees with employees dressed as elves and collected them after the holiday for composting at Farm King of Crops.

  Outcome. The initiative became a recurring seasonal extension of the brand and connected holiday retail with composting.

  Source

• 2023

  Enter Decatur’s mobile-vendor programStrategy

  Background

  Decatur created a mobile-food-vendor program with the city’s Downtown Development Authority, providing a formal route for mobile food operators.

  Action taken

  King of Pops began operating carts in Decatur through the new program.

  Aftermath

  The move expanded the brand’s presence in the Atlanta metropolitan area after earlier controversy over Decatur’s treatment of competing popsicle vendors.

  Source

• 2022

  Introduce Cartrepreneurs franchisingStrategy

  Background

  King of Pops sought to extend its cart-based operating model beyond company-operated locations.

  Action taken

  The company launched Cartrepreneurs, a program allowing franchise operators to run King of Pops popsicle carts.

  Aftermath

  Reference material reported 38 franchises across six states by June 2024.

  Source

• 2020

  Respond to pandemic event cancellationsStrategy

  Background

  The cancellation of corporate events, sporting events, and spring gatherings removed important sales channels for the cart and catering business.

  Action taken

  The company reportedly reduced its workforce by 50 percent and redirected some community activity toward a campaign donating pops to healthcare workers.

  Aftermath

  The pandemic period exposed the company’s dependence on event traffic but was followed by later expansion through franchised carts.

  Source

• 2014

  Acquire agricultural land for ingredient sourcingStrategy

  Background

  The brand sought greater connection to seasonal and locally grown ingredients for its popsicles.

  Action taken

  King of Pops purchased a 68-acre farm in Douglasville, Georgia, with plans to grow herbs, ginger, berries, melons, and other ingredients.

  Aftermath

  The farm became part of the company’s agricultural and composting narrative, although the available reference does not quantify its later production contribution.

  Source

1. 1King of Popsen.wikipedia.org