Chilly Billy’s Announce New Owners For Twin Ports Frozen Yogurt Business

A popular Twin Ports area business is undergoing a big change.

Started in Duluth about a decade ago, the frozen yogurt business Chilly Billy's is changing hands for a second time since opening in the Twin Ports area. Here's a look at the path to this news today and what's next.

The Start Of Chilly Billy's In Duluth

Chilly Billy's initially got its start in Dinktown in the Twin Cities in 2011 by "Chilly Billy" Bill Marker and his wife, eventually opening a shop near their Alma Mater, UMD, in the Bluestome development in Duluth's Woodland neighborhood in 2014.

Following the success of their shop in Woodland, they added a location in the Miller Hill Mall in the food court area in 2018.

In the summer of 2023, Bill and his wife broke the news that they wanted to retire, with the plan being to close the two shops by the end of that year. Thankfully, a couple of local businesspeople bought the popular business to keep it going.

A Changing Of The Chilly Billy's Guard

Adam Daoust and Andrew Weisz, who also operate Finden Marketing, bought Chilly Billy's in late 2023, moving their Woodland location to the former Vanilla Bean down the street while adding a breakfast menu to that location and later adding a location in Superior in 2024.

The food menu in the Chilly Billy's location pivoted to lunch and dinner in 2025, with the opening of Madhouse Burgers, serving smashburgers, sandwiches, and beer, along with the frozen yogurt offerings from Chilly Billy's.

In December of 2025, the owners announced Madhouse would be closed and sold to the owners of Pedro's in Cloquet, who planned to turn the space into a Mexican restaurant with a menu inspired by their Cloquet and Superior locations.

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In their announcement about this move, the owners of Chilly Billy's hinted at refreshing the brand and focusing on their location at the Miller Hill Mall. The Superior location, which opened in 2024, appears to have also been quietly shut down, which the owners acknowledged in a comment on one of their Facebook posts about their Miller Hill Mall store in February.

Introducing The Brand New Chilly Billy's Owners

In a social media post on Friday (February 20), the company announced it is under new ownership.

In the post, new owners Corey and Austin were quick to address questions about the quiet closure of the Superior shop, saying, "We’ve seen the questions about the Superior location, and that decision was made prior to us coming on board."

They continued, saying, "Our focus is making the Miller Hill Mall location the best it can be for our community.

Corey and Austin say they're excited for what is ahead, noting they are working on some fun updates" for the Miller Hill Mall shop.