Mad Martha's Ice Cream Franchise Up For Sale

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA—Mad Martha's Ice Cream franchise, founded on the Island in 1971, is for sale at an asking price of $10.5 million, owners Patricia and Paul Roberts told the Vineyard Gazette.

The asking price includes the rights to the anchor business and three downtown locations in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven.

"We just realized it's been 24 years that we've been doing this and it was time," Patricia Roberts told the Vineyard Gazette. "We'd like to enjoy our summers on Martha's Vineyard with our friends."

The Roberts', who were initially seasonal visitors on the Island, have owned and operated the franchise since 1997 and are hoping to pass it on to someone who can continue its legacy and recipes.

"We're not just going to walk away," Patricia Roberts told the Vineyard Gazette. "The recipes came with the business-when we bought the business, the first item on the list was the recipes, so we will be going forward with those same ideas."

Although the pandemic made this past summer difficult for business, it did not contribute to the Roberts' decision to sell the franchise.