The fascinating phenomenon of time reveals a connection between a German prince, a hard working, enterprising local couple, and a future U.S. president all through ice cream! This is the story of Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream, voted best ice cream in Eugene, OR multiple times by many publications (most recently in 2021 by the Register Guard). Lets sit in our time machine and visit a few interesting stages.
In the early 19th century lived a German prince by the name of Hermann Von Puckler-Muskau. He was an author, world traveler, and landscape designer to whom they attribute a common German dessert called Prince Puckler’s bombe. This predates the neapolitan and consists of layers of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream.
Early 1970s in Eugene, OR was an exciting time when a group of hardworking, forward thinking entrepreneurs were rejuvenating downtown and Eugene as a whole. Among them were Jim and Lolly Robertson, students at the University of Oregon with a passion for ice cream that saw the need for a place that was open later at night. They started Prince Puckler’s ice cream in 1975.
It is 2008 and the U.S. presidential campaign is in full swing. Prince Puckler’s excellent reputation and delicious ice cream brings in someone about to make history, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. He orders the mint chip ice cream, ever since referred to as the “Obama.”
Finally, we are in 2021 still in the midst of a horrible world pandemic that has shaken up all of us, specially the restaurant industry. As always Prince Puckler’s ice cream continues to show ingenuity and resilience and brings the community together. They are a member of Unique Eugene , a non-profit that works to support local independent businesses and they source many ingredients locally.
Lets meet and have a delicious cone of Galaxy ice cream, Euphoria chocolate sundae or any of their other 40-50 flavors. We may even witness three generations of University of Oregon students sitting together savoring the joys of being there.
Please read on for my interview:
Q) The origin story of great family businesses is fascinating. Can you please tell us a little about
the background and how Jim and Lolly Robertson came to create Prince Puckler?
A) Jim moved from San Francisco to Eugene in the early 1970s to go to the University of
Oregon, where Lolly was also going. There were a lot of new businesses opening up in Eugene,
including, notably, the first Nike shoe store. There was little open late, though, and Jim missed
the fun and late nights of a well known ice cream spot in the Castro Street area of San Francisco
called Bud’s Ice Cream. Through a connection of a friend of a friend, Jim was able to connect
with Al Edwin, the owner, to buy the recipe and spend 2 weeks training under him. With this
Jim and Lolly opened the first Prince Pückler’s location in the newly renovated downtown,
staying open until 11 on weekdays and midnights on weekends.
Q) What is the story behind the image of your icon?
A) The name Prince Pückler came from a book about ice cream that described a dessert created
by the prince called Prince Pückler’s Bombe. This dessert, which predates neapolitan, consists
of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream with layers of crushed macaroons and rum. It was
also fun having the umlaut over the u because it would become a discussion piece for new
customers. Jim and Lolly hired a family friend named Tom Kelly, who was a well known
graphic designer in Eugene to come up with the logo.
Q) Is there a flavor or flavors you are especially proud of and how did you come to create them?
A) We love having so many flavors to choose from! We consistently have over 45 options, both
year round and seasonal. We’ve always been proud of our coffee selection, carrying at least 8 at
a time. Since 2008, we have become very known for our Mint Chip, some calling it Obama
Mint, when Barack and Michelle came to town during their presidential campaign tour. Galaxy
is also a fun flavor because it was created from a flavor contest we did back in the 80s. The lady
who won was someone who checked the parking meters downtown, and we’ve had it ever since!
It’s a chocolate malt ice cream with dark and white chocolate chips mixed in. Lastly, it would be
a crime not to mention the seasonal flavor of fresh marionberry. We like to say this one has a
cult following because once the summer months start, customers are constantly asking when it
will arrive. We get our marionberries from a Thistledown, a local farm.
Q) Unfortunately we have to address Covid and how it has affected all of us, especially the
restaurant industry. Can you tell us how you have managed and pivoted?
A) When COVID hit, it felt like we were working on a week by week basis, sometimes even day
by day. We closed for a couple months and slowly added hours for curbside pickup after that.
Once it felt safe enough, we opened our doors for take out, which we are still doing. It took over
a year to get back to our pre-COVID hours, and a big part of that was having the students come
back to campus. This slowing down of production actually gave us a chance to put time into
other areas of our business. For example, our online presence expanded immensely, with social
media becoming a huge platform for getting information out. This also was a time that small
businesses in Eugene really came together to help each other out, and it felt like many amazing,
and lasting connections were able to be formed from this time period.
Q) Can you please tell us a little about going local and trying to serve the community around
you?
A) We’ve always described the business as being community based. At our current location,
19th and Agate, we feel like we have become a part of the neighborhood as well as a part of the
University of Oregon’s culture. Being in business for 46 years, we have watched many
generations grow up, and always love to see parents, grandparents and even great grandparents
bring in the next generation! We are also a board member at Unique Eugene, a local non-profit
working to ensure local businesses prosper in our community. From our ice cream mix being
sourced from a local dairy, Lochmead, to focusing many of our donations to schools, from
preschool to university, we really strive to serve the community.
Q) What do you see in the future of Prince Puckler and future advancements for ice cream!!?
A) The future of Prince Puckler’s is in an exciting transition period right now. Jim and Lolly are
headed towards retirement, and Laura, their daughter, is learning the tricks of the trade. Laura
really wants to keep the classic feel of an old-timey ice cream parlor that Jim and Lolly have
very successfully built, and add in a few twists here and there. This may include new flavors,
collaborations with local businesses, new merchandise, etc. Right now it feels like there’s a lot
of potential, especially with events like the 2022 World Athletic Championship and we’re
excited to take on all the new challenge
