MIDWAY, Utah, Aug. 17 (Our Utah Times) — Rebel Creamery LLC, a Utah-based maker of ice cream sold at grocery stores nationwide, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while appealing a $23.785 million federal judgment involving rival Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Rebel filed its voluntary petition Aug. 14, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah. Its bankruptcy schedules list about $13.78 million in assets and $23.85 million in liabilities.
The filing places the company’s finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court while Rebel seeks to reorganize. Chapter 11 generally allows a business to continue operating while it develops a plan to deal with creditors, although the records summarized in the filing do not show whether Rebel’s operations, workers or product distribution have changed.
What does Rebel owe?
Most of the liabilities listed in Rebel’s schedules are tied to Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Rebel listed Van Leeuwen as an unsecured creditor with a claim of $23.785 million. An unsecured creditor generally does not have collateral securing the debt.
Rebel marked the claim as “disputed” and said the judgment is under appeal. Rebel filed its appeal Aug. 12, two days before the bankruptcy case began. The available records do not show the current status of the appeal or whether the judgment has been stayed or secured.
Rebel’s bankruptcy petition estimated its assets and liabilities at between $10 million and $50 million. The petition also stated that funds would be available for distribution to unsecured creditors.
The schedules report about $5.22 million in cash and cash equivalents, $2.59 million in accounts receivable and $5.65 million in inventory. The records do not provide Rebel’s revenue, earnings, employee count or a complete list of its other creditors.
Why did Van Leeuwen win the judgment?
Van Leeuwen sued Rebel in 2021, alleging that Rebel copied the look of its ice cream pint packaging. The dispute centered on trade dress, a legal term for the distinctive visual features that identify a product or business, such as packaging design.
In a July 16, 2026, memorandum and order, U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee found that Rebel intentionally infringed and diluted Van Leeuwen’s trade dress. “The evidence at trial left no doubt that Rebel infringed and diluted Van Leeuwen’s trade dress and did so intentionally,” Komitee wrote.
The court awarded Van Leeuwen $23.785 million, an amount described in the ruling as Rebel’s profits from products bearing the allegedly infringing packaging. The court also ordered Rebel to stop selling products in that packaging and redesign it.
Rebel’s appeal challenges the result, but the available court-record summaries do not provide the arguments raised in the appeal or its outcome.
What does the bankruptcy mean for customers and retailers?
Rebel products have been sold through Walmart, Kroger, Safeway and other grocery retailers, according to the reported court-record summaries. The bankruptcy filing could affect the company’s ability to produce, distribute or repackage its products, but the available records do not say whether any retailer has changed its relationship with Rebel.
The filing also does not establish that the Van Leeuwen judgment was the sole reason Rebel sought bankruptcy protection. It shows the size of the judgment compared with Rebel’s reported liabilities, but it does not provide a full explanation of the company’s business finances or operating plans.
For now, the bankruptcy case and the appeal are separate legal proceedings: the Utah bankruptcy court will address Rebel’s debts and reorganization, while the federal appeal will address the trade-dress judgment. The available records do not identify a trustee, provide a reorganization plan or describe any confirmed payment to Van Leeuwen.
