McConnell’s offering free birthday scoops in honor of late co-founder

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - McConnell's Fine Ice Creams will is honoring one of its late co-founders by offering customers free birthday scoops on their birthdays.

Ernesteen McConnell co-founded McConnell's Fine Ice Creams with her husband Gordon in 1949. They opened their first shop in Santa Barbara in December of 1950. 

Earlier this month, the company posted on their Instagram page that 'Ernie' passed away at 104.

She would have been 105 years old on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

The post described the Ernie as a "sharp, spirited and energetic" woman with "boundless energy, positivity, and generosity of sprit."

The ice cream company says in honor of Ernie's long life, starting Wednesday, McConnell's will offer a free single scoop (the smallest size) to customers on their birthday at one of the eight scoop shops in Southern California and on the Central Coast.

Customers will need to sign up to redeem their complimentary ice cream.

"Decades early to the game in featuring local ingredients, and a product devoid of fillers, stabilizers and preservatives, McConnell’s pioneered the crafting of all products in-house, from ice cream to the jams, caramels, chocolate sauces, cookies, brownies and everything in between," said Michael Palmer, CEO of McConnell's Fine Ice Creams.

"In the process, Ernie and 'Mac' created America’s original, artisan ice cream brand. Seven decades later, we honor their vision - and our company’s heritage - every day, by continuing to make our ice creams and everything in them 100% from scratch."

Palmer says whiskey & pecan pralines was Ernie's favorite flavor.