OUR MISSION
Using ice cream as the platform, we pioneer and share experiences that inspire and connect us all.
We make ice cream
that’s about more
than ice cream.
Our Process
MEET KIM TYLER
For years, Kim Malek was dreaming about the creation of a community gathering place. One where you could run into neighbors, spend time with family, or treat yourself. A great neighborhood place. The answer was clearly an ice cream shop. Enter Tyler, her cousin who wanted in.
ice cream before.
Luckily, Tyler wasn’t afraid of his rookie status. He spent $16 on four used ice cream makers and got to work, spending hours endlessly testing flavor ideas in his own personal Wonka-verse (a.k.a., Kim’s basement). Meanwhile, Kim cashed in her savings and bought a cart. And then the two of them turned to their community, asking friends—chefs, chocolatiers, brewers and farmers—for advice, finding inspiration everywhere they looked.
Add in a bit of magic and madness, and that’s the gist of how Salt & Straw came to be.
Our ice cream gives you a moment of happiness and connection to the community around you.
What Inspires us
We invest in independent food artisans.
In every city where we scoop, we work with local makers, farmers, and chefs who inspire us to tell stories through our ever-changing menu of new flavors. We support non-profit culinary incubators, such as Portland Mercado and La Cocina in San Francisco, which help bring equity to underrepresented artisans and chefs in our food culture.
We start from scratch with every new city we enter.
Community building is in Salt & Straw DNA. We establish deep connections with our scoop neighborhoods, supporting everyone from local artisans to students and organizations. With every new scoop shop, we meet our customers and community where they are, creating meaningful experiences just for them.
We use our menu to shine a light on issues we care about.
This is about more than ice cream. Over the years we’ve supported equal rights through Basic Rights Oregon and The Trevor Project, food waste and insecurity with Urban Gleaners and Share Our Strength, child cancer research through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and the preservation of our protected landscape through the National Park Foundation.
We believe in our team.
As an early adopter of the Portland Means Progress initiative, we’re committed to paying our team a competitive wage, providing generous benefits, and creating career paths. We partner with workforce development organizations (United Way Bay Area) and programs that foster diversity in leadership (Emerging Leaders) to educate on opportunities in hospitality, employment, and training.
learn more about our charitable partners
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Hot Bread Kitchen
HBK creates economic opportunities for women and gender-expansive people, immigrants, and people of color through job skills training and food entrepreneurship programs.
Urban Gleaners
Urban Gleaners is working to reduce food waste and eliminate hunger by collecting food and redistributing meals to underrepresented communities in Portland.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
Salt & Straw team members are positive, passionate individuals, dedicated to brightening days and effectively impacting their community.
Sound like you? We’re growing!
We offer free (yeah!) ice cream, medical and dental insurance for employees working 30+ hours per week, paid time off, and parental leave. We pride ourselves on a diverse, tolerant, and safe work culture.
