Easy Ice

Easy Ice bundles the ice machine, installation, preventative maintenance, and emergency repairs into a single monthly fee. Standard equipment leasing typically separates the financing from service, leaving the operator to manage breakdowns. Easy Ice also guarantees a four-hour response time, a service-level agreement uncommon in the small-ticket equipment leasing market.

In 2021, Freeman Spogli & Co., a Los Angeles-based middle-market private equity firm, made a significant growth investment in Easy Ice. Co-founders Mark Johnson and John Munger retained meaningful ownership and continue to lead the company. The specific equity split has not been publicly disclosed.

The company operates in all 50 states and maintains company-staffed service depots in approximately 40 US cities. Easy Ice achieved national coverage through a disciplined roll-up of more than 100 regional ice-machine leasing businesses, building density in hospitality corridors before expanding into adjacent markets.

The fleet consists primarily of commercial ice machines from Manitowoc, Hoshizaki, and Scotsman. Easy Ice manages a mixed-vintage fleet, refurbishing older units in-house to extend asset life beyond the typical depreciation schedule that independent operators face.

The customer base is concentrated in foodservice and hospitality — restaurants, hotels, casinos, hospitals, and convenience stores. These operators value the subscription model because ice-machine downtime directly affects revenue; a broken machine during dinner service at a restaurant can disrupt operations and customer experience.