Our Story
We are Alison and Aaron, partners in life and in business. We have both been vegan for over 20 years and avid animal lovers, and this is the story of Runaway Cow.
Ice cream is in Alison’s blood. Its a fun way of looking at it, but it’s also pretty accurate. Alison grew up working in her family’s ice cream shop- a business that was in her family for 50 years. In 2001, Alison started experiencing health related issues that turned out to be an intolerance to dairy products. Having been vegetarian since 1998 (13 years old!) she made the transition to veganism shortly thereafter. Though she still helped run the ice cream shop, it was definitely disheartening to to no longer be able to enjoy the tasty treats she grew up with. This was essentially when the idea for what would become Runaway Cow was born. How great would it be to still be able to enjoy dipped ice cream cones, mix-in cups, sundaes, floats, and more but with non-dairy ice cream? Of course, this was during a time when plant-based option were nowhere near as accessible as they are today. The dream would have to wait.
In 2013, a unexpected opportunity resulted in Aaron and Alison opening a food truck. Though Alison had a background with running the ice cream business and Aaron worked in the food industry, neither had any experience with food trucks. They threw caution to the wind, and Early Bird Vegan Food Truck was born. Early Bird offered vegan breakfast and lunch fare- from waffles and breakfast sandwiches to BBQ Bacon Burgers and Chicago style hot dogs, not to mention baked goods like cupcakes, muffins, and cookies. The food truck ran very successfully for 3 years, with a growing fan base. Unfortunately, it started to become too big to manage. Both Alison and Aaron still had 9-5 day jobs, and did all of the prep for the truck themselves. In early 2016, they made the very tough choice to bring Early Bird to a close. Knowing full well, though, that they would be back.
In 2022, as the new normal began to settle in and pandemic closures came to an end, Alison and Aaron were struck with inspiration once again: it was time for the vegan ice cream shop. They spent the next year and a half searching for just the right space. A vegan ice cream shop is not a new concept. In fact, now more than ever, people are embracing plant-based food options. How would this be different? First and foremost, they wanted this to be a place that was familiar to them. Remember that family business ice cream shop? It was a priority to make a space that felt like the childhood excitement of going out for ice cream on a summer night that was accessible and welcoming to all. Second, we needed the perfect location. The location on the south side was a non-negotiable; vegan options on the south side are scarce in comparison to our northern counterparts. After searching for what seemed like forever, at the end of the summer of 2023, we finally found our space in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, a neighborhood we love and have called home for the past 14 years.
