After more than a quarter-century serving ice cream and fostering community connections, Frosty Freez has officially changed hands — but loyal customers can expect the nearly 70-year-old institution to remain exactly as they remember it.
The Middletown ice cream shop, located at 496 East Main Road, announced Sunday on Facebook that Cameron Bulk, who has worked at Frosty Freez for 11 seasons, has purchased the business from longtime owners Mark and his partner, who ran the establishment for 26 seasons.
“Super special congratulations to our longtime (11 seasons!) employee Cameron Bulk, who has pretty much been running the place silently since mid-July!” the owners wrote in an emotional post. “It became official this past week, and she is now the new owner of Frosty Freez!”
Frosty Freez has been serving ice cream to Aquidneck Island families for nearly seven decades, operating as a seasonal business from April 1 through September 30 each year. The shop has become woven into the fabric of Middletown life, a place where multiple generations have created memories over soft-serve cones and sundaes.
The transition appears to have been months in the making, with Bulk gradually taking over operations during the summer season. The previous owners praised her as “genuinely the perfect person to continue taking care of the Freez,” noting her commitment to maintaining the shop’s character and community focus. “She is keeping the Freez just the way it is: a middle-of-Middletown, community-focused, old-fashioned ice cream shop,” they wrote.
The announcement struck a deeply sentimental tone, with the previous owners reflecting on their role as “caretakers” rather than simply owners of the historic business. They described the rarity of small-town gathering spots where families can still socialize in the same place their parents and grandparents did, expressing gratitude for being part of such a special place in Middletown.
The post highlighted what made running the business so meaningful: watching customers reconnect with neighbors, old friends, coworkers, and family members while standing in line, sitting at tables, perched on logs, or tailgating — all while enjoying ice cream on sunny days and summer nights. But it was the relationships formed through the business that seemed to resonate most deeply with the outgoing owners, who referred to employees as “our kids,” their children as surrogate “grandkids,” and customers who “became friends and family.”
“You are all huge gifts that we will cherish forever,” they wrote. “Thank you to every single person who worked for us, and thank you to all of our wonderful customers. It has been an honor to serve all of you, and employ your kids, and be a part of our truly beautiful community!”
The owners expressed confidence that Bulk understands the commitment required to run Frosty Freez, acknowledging “the amount of time, work, and attention this place requires” while expressing certainty that she’ll dedicate herself fully to the business and enjoy making new connections with the community.
With the 2025 season having wrapped up at the end of September, Bulk will have the winter months to prepare for her first full season as owner when the shop reopens on April 1, 2026. The announcement concluded with gratitude and a promise that customers will still see the former owners around town — “in other places besides the window!”
For Middletown residents and visitors to Aquidneck Island, the news represents both an ending and a beginning — a changing of the guard that honors nearly 70 years of history while ensuring that future generations will continue to gather at 496 East Main Road for ice cream, conversation, and community.
