The Chocolate Moose

HISTORY 

In 1933, during the Great Depression, Cletus May was out of a job and needed money. So he opened what would eventually be known as the Chocolate Moose, but at the time was May’s Cafe. They sold food and ice cream there, which was all handmade in his backyard by himself using a strange contraption using a bicycle wheel and a motor. He did this for a while until the State Health Department forced him to stop, claiming it was unsanitary.

In 1955, May's Cafe became the Penguin, and shifted its focus to primarily ice cream. However, today they do still sell non-dessert foods, so you could technically come into the shop for lunch AND dessert.

After leasing the building to another group for a year, the Mays attempted to get their shop back, but the beings inhabiting the building said that they would have to pay to reclaim the original name. Cletus May’s son, who owned the company at the time refused to pay the fine, so they officially changed the name of the shop to the Chocolate Moose in 1983.

In the spring of 1984, during the Olympic trials, Micheal Jordan visited the Chocolate Moose a number of times while he trained. Another famous person to visit the Chocolate Moose was Mellencamp, and he even included it it in his music video for the song "Jack & Diane"; when he sings, "Suckin' on a chili dog down by the Tasty Freeze," he is standing outside the iconic A-frame structure of the Chocolate Moose. 

Many years later in 2013 Justin Loveless became the owner of the Chocolate Moose (he is still the owner today). In 2016 the beloved A-frame building was demolished and they relocated to the building Bloomington knows and loves today! 

ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY

The Chocolate Moose plays a huge role in the Bloomington community. 

They were the original starter of Food Truck Fridays, which began as a TPS fundraiser in the parking lot near the building in 2014, and now happens at Switchyard Park. Their current manager Jordan Davis hosts a podcast called No Dishes where he interviews local Bloomington business owners. He also helped bring back Taste of Bloomington last year to great success. 

The Chocolate Moose doesn't only sell at its own shops though, as they put up their ice cream for sale at Pizza X, Upland, and even Cardinal Spirits.  It also has a second location in Nashville, Indiana, which surprisingly gets more business than the one here in Bloomington. Additionally, there are pop-up stands in the Indiana Memorial Union and Simon-Skjot Assembly Hall, where the college basketball teams play.

Unlike many other businesses, the Chocolate Moose does not see other ice cream shops as competitors. They even share ideas with other local stores like Jiffy Treat and  Hartzells, and supply them with materials when they run out.

At the Chocolate Moose, there are many unusual items like the Maple Bacon ice cream flavor, Pineapple Dole Whip, and as an added bonus, some of their ice cream flavors come in vegan versions as well, so everyone can consume their food items. While Dairy Queen has had an item called “The Blizzard” for a while now, The Chocolate Moose was the original owner of the name, but was forced to change the name after they were sent a cease and desist letter from DQ about the name. They called it a Blizz instead.