Blue Bell Creameries’ Alabama plant is up and running, and the ice cream will be back on store shelves Aug. 31.
But don’t expect to see it in Oklahoma then.
Brenham, Houston and Austin, Texas, and Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, will be the first markets to get Blue Bell ice cream back.
"This is an exciting time for us as we're back doing what we love. That's making ice cream," said Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ricky Dickson in a video on the company's website. "Our return will include parts of 15 states but will take some time as we work to restart operations at our facilities."
Blue Bell’s Broken Arrow and Brenham, Texas, plants are still closed. They’re getting overhauls similar to the Alabama facility.
That's why the company is taking a phased approach to the rollout.
"It's kind of like trying to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a single garden hose," Dickson said. "It can be done, it's just going to take some time."
Southern Oklahoma is part of the second phase, central Oklahoma part of the third, and the rest of the state part of the fifth and final phase.
The company recalled more than 8 million gallons of ice cream after listeriosis outbreaks earlier this year.
