The National Park Foundation Is Teaming Up With Nightingale Ice Cream For A Target Exclusive Inspired By A Classic Campfire Treat

Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, the cult-favorite brand from Richmond, Virginia, is collaborating with the National Park Foundation for a limited-edition flavor. The results are a deliciously nostalgic take on that campfire classic treat s'mores. The flavor has chocolate-toasted marshmallow ice cream swirled with ribbons of marshmallow fluff sandwiched between two honey graham cookies. These S'mores are launching this September, exclusively at Target stores across the United States.

Wife and husband chefs, Hannah Pollack and Xavier Meers, launched Nightingale in 2016 after making ice cream sandwiches by hand out of their restaurant. Even as the company has grown, Nightingale continues to make its products with a chef-driven approach using high-quality ingredients and attention to tiny details, including for its S'mores. "The goal wasn't just to make a s'mores-flavored product," Pollack, the CEO, told Chowhound in an exclusive interview. "We wanted someone to take a bite and have it bring back that feeling of making s'mores outside."

Nightingale is donating 4% of the profits to the National Park Foundation, the official non-profit that supports the National Park Service. The collaboration is a meaningful one for Pollack, who has a goal to visit all the U.S. national parks within five years (she's been to 11 so far). "We wanted the collaboration to give back and help support these incredible places so they can continue to be protected, enjoyed, and experienced for generations to come," she said.

The journey of Hannah Pollack, Xavier Meers, and their company from side hustle to national brand is an impressive one. Pollack went to culinary school after leaving the U.S. Marines, became a professional chef, and met Meers, who is also a classically trained chef. Together, they ran a restaurant in Richmond, where Pollack crafted an ice cream sandwich for their menu that quickly took on a life of its own.

By 2016, it became the couple's main business, and has grown exponentially. Pollack is still surprised at Nightingale's success. "We started with two chefs making ice cream sandwiches by hand in Richmond," she said. "Now we have the opportunity to work with Target on a national launch and partner with the National Park Foundation around something that is genuinely meaningful to me personally. That's pretty surreal."

Pollack said working with Target on the S'mores launch was a natural fit. It offered the opportunity to get the product out to consumers across the country. Nightingale often sells out of its ice cream sandwiches, which are can't-skip items at stores such as Costco, Target, and Whole Foods, especially with its limited-edition and seasonal products. So, while you could upgrade your homemade s'mores with various additions, it's a whole lot easier to grab a box or two of these decadent ice cream sandwiches. They give you those same nostalgic flavors while giving back.