Whitey's Ice Cream
Whitey's Ice Cream is a family-owned ice-cream parlor and packaged-ice-cream business serving the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Whitey's Ice Cream is a regional ice-cream parlor chain based in Moline, Illinois, and associated with the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities. The business traces its origins to 1933, when Chester Lindgren opened an ice-cream store at the corner of 16th Street and 23rd Avenue in Moline. Lindgren was known by the nickname “Whitey,” reportedly because of his white-blond hair, and the nickname became the foundation of the brand. The company's early development was closely tied to Robert “Bob” Tunberg. Tunberg began working for Lindgren in 1935 at age 15, while still in high school. After continuing with the business for several years, he bought the original store from Lindgren in 1953. Bob and his wife, Norma, operated the shop as a hands-on family business, producing ice cream during the day and selling it in the store at night. Their approach helped establish Whitey's as a locally rooted destination rather than simply a packaged-food label. Whitey's began expanding its retail footprint in 1979, when it opened a second Moline location. Further Illinois locations followed, and in 1984 the company opened its first Iowa store in Bettendorf. The chain subsequently developed a presence across the Quad Cities, with locations in communities on both sides of the Mississippi River. The company also operated locations beyond the immediate Quad Cities, although individual stores have opened and closed over time. Its Coral Ridge Mall location in Coralville, Iowa, closed in January 2019, marking the company's withdrawal from the Iowa City area after an earlier downtown Iowa City location also failed to reopen. A major business turning point came in 1988, when Whitey's established a wholesale department and entered the grocery-store market. This broadened the brand beyond company-operated parlors and enabled packaged Whitey's ice cream to reach supermarkets, schools, and other institutions. Distribution has been centered on a regional radius around Moline, with products also reported at Hy-Vee stores in a number of Midwestern states, including Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kansas. Retail partners mentioned in reference material include Hy-Vee, Jewel, and Fareway. Whitey's is especially associated with thick shakes and malts that can be held upside down. The company attributes this texture and presentation to high-powered malt machines and preparation by trained employees. Its product-development history also includes candy-bar shakes, chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream, and a no-sugar-added product sweetened with Splenda and aimed in part at consumers managing diabetes. Another distinctive flavor, Sgt. Camo, combines graham cracker, marshmallow ice cream, and a ribbon of Whitey's fudge in a camouflage-colored product. Proceeds from Sgt. Camo sales have been directed to military-veteran organizations, and the product was sent to the Pentagon and to military personnel and their families before deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The company remains family owned by Bob Tunberg's sons, Jeff and Jon Tunberg, who work as co-owners. The presidency was reportedly left open in tribute to their father after his death in 1991. In the current operating model described by reference material, Whitey's runs nine locations in the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities, maintains seasonal or event-based stands at Vibrant Arena at The MARK and Modern Woodmen Park, distributes packaged products through regional grocery channels, and accepts online orders for shipment within the continental United States. Whitey's reputation is primarily regional. It has been recognized by Midwest Living readers as among the Midwest's best ice-cream businesses, appeared on the Food Network program Food Finds, received the 2007 Ice Cream Store of the Year “Passion Award” from Ice Cream University, and was identified as the nation's top ice cream in a September 2014 Travel Magazine poll according to the cited reference material. Its enduring identity rests on local heritage, family ownership, parlor-made products, distinctive thick shakes, and a combination of direct retail and wholesale distribution.
History
Whitey's Ice Cream began in 1933 when Chester Lindgren opened an ice-cream store in Moline, Illinois. Lindgren's white-blond hair earned him the nickname “Whitey,” which became the business name. In 1935, he hired Bob Tunberg, then 15 years old. Tunberg remained connected with the company through high school and the following years before purchasing the original store from Lindgren in 1953. Bob and Norma Tunberg operated Whitey's as a family business. They made ice cream during the day and sold it from the store at night, combining production and retail in a small local operation. Under their ownership, the business gradually became a prominent Quad Cities institution. The first major retail expansion occurred in 1979 with a second Moline store. After additional Illinois growth, Whitey's crossed into Iowa in 1984 with a Bettendorf location. The company broadened its distribution model in 1988 by creating a wholesale department and entering the grocery market. Packaged Whitey's ice cream became available through supermarkets, schools, and other outlets, with distribution centered on the Quad Cities and extending into surrounding Midwestern states. This transition allowed the brand to maintain its parlors while also reaching consumers who did not live near a store. Whitey's has developed a recognizable product identity around unusually thick shakes and malts. The company links the consistency to high-powered equipment and employee preparation. It has also promoted specialty products including candy-bar shakes, chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream, a no-sugar-added line using Splenda, and Sgt. Camo, a camouflage-colored flavor made with graham cracker, marshmallow ice cream, and fudge. Sgt. Camo has had a charitable and military-support role, with profits directed to veterans' groups and product sent to military communities. Bob Tunberg died in 1991. Ownership subsequently passed to his sons, Jeff and Jon Tunberg, who operate as co-owners. The presidency was reportedly kept open in his memory. The later business has combined company-operated parlors, event stands, wholesale distribution, and online shipment within the continental United States. Reference material describes nine Quad Cities locations, plus stands at Vibrant Arena at The MARK and Modern Woodmen Park during sporting events. The retail network has changed over time. A downtown Iowa City store did not reopen after building renovations, and the Coral Ridge Mall store in Coralville closed on January 31, 2019. Despite those closures, Whitey's remains an active regional brand with a strong association with the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities. Its recognition has included Midwest Living coverage, a Food Network Food Finds appearance, a 2007 Ice Cream Store of the Year Passion Award, and a reported 2014 Travel Magazine ranking.
- 2019
Coralville location closes
[1]The Coral Ridge Mall store closed, ending the chain's reported presence in the Iowa City area.
- 2007
Receives the Passion Award
[1]Whitey's was reported as the winner of the fourth annual Ice Cream Store of the Year Passion Award.
- 1991
Death of Bob Tunberg
[1]Bob Tunberg died, after which his sons Jeff and Jon became the company's owners.
- 1988
Wholesale department launches
[1]Whitey's entered grocery and institutional distribution with a dedicated wholesale operation.
- 1984
Expansion into Iowa
[1]The first Iowa location opened in Bettendorf after further Illinois expansion.
- 1979
Second Moline store opens
[1]Whitey's began its retail expansion with a second location in Moline.
- 1953
Bob Tunberg purchases Whitey's
[1]Tunberg bought the original Moline store from Lindgren and operated it with his wife, Norma.
- 1935
Bob Tunberg joins the business
[1]At age 15, Bob Tunberg began working for Chester Lindgren and later became the brand's long-term owner.
- 1933
First Whitey's store opens in Moline
[1]Chester Lindgren opened the original ice-cream store in Moline, Illinois, establishing the business that became Whitey's Ice Cream.
Products and positioning
A family-owned, locally iconic Midwestern ice-cream parlor and packaged-dessert brand emphasizing heritage, generous textures, specialty flavors, community presence, and Quad Cities identity.
Beverages
Extra-thick shakes and malts
Whitey's is particularly known for dense shakes and malts that can reportedly be held upside down. The company attributes the consistency to high-powered malt machines and careful preparation by trained staff.
Ice cream
Chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream
A signature flavor associated with Whitey's product innovation and parlor offerings, combining a conventional ice-cream base with chocolate chips and cookie dough pieces.
Specialty ice cream
Sgt. Camo
A camouflage-colored specialty flavor made with graham cracker, marshmallow ice cream, and a ribbon of Whitey's fudge. Proceeds have been donated to military-veteran organizations.
Dietary ice cream
No Sugar Added ice cream
A reduced-sugar offering sweetened with Splenda and developed for consumers seeking an alternative to conventional ice cream, including people managing diabetes.
Retail packaged food · 1988
Packaged Whitey's ice cream
Take-home ice cream distributed through Whitey's wholesale department and sold at regional supermarket chains, schools, and other outlets across parts of the Midwest.
Marketing campaigns
- Sgt. Camo veterans-support program
United States
Whitey's promoted Sgt. Camo as both a specialty flavor and a military-support initiative. Sales profits were directed to various veterans' organizations, and product was sent to the Pentagon and to military personnel and families before deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Outcome. The product became one of the brand's distinctive community and charitable offerings; the reference material does not quantify funds raised.
Brand decisions
2019
Close the Coral Ridge Mall locationOtherBackground
Whitey's had already lost or not reopened a downtown Iowa City location and later reassessed its presence in the Iowa City area.
Action taken
The Coral Ridge Mall store in Coralville, Iowa, closed on January 31, 2019.
Aftermath
The closure marked Whitey's exit from the Iowa City area while the broader Quad Cities network continued operating.
1988
Enter the grocery and wholesale marketStrategyBackground
Whitey's had primarily operated as a local ice-cream parlor business and sought broader product distribution.
Action taken
The company established a wholesale department and began distributing packaged ice cream to grocery stores, schools, and other outlets.
Aftermath
The move expanded Whitey's reach beyond its parlors and created a regional packaged-food channel across several Midwestern states.
Recent events
- 2019
Whitey's closes its Coral Ridge Mall location[1]
Other
The Coralville, Iowa, location closed on January 31, 2019, ending Whitey's presence in the Iowa City area.
- 1988
Whitey's expands into grocery distribution[1]
Other
The company created a wholesale department and began selling packaged ice cream through grocery stores and institutional channels.
- 1984
Whitey's opens its first Iowa location in Bettendorf[1]
Other
The company expanded across the Quad Cities by opening its first Iowa store in Bettendorf.
Sources1 sources
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