Apparently the Museum of Ice Cream, which opened earlier this month to sold out crowds of folks "doin' it for the 'gram," has been asking local ice cream shops to donate ice cream, which would then be given out to guests who come to the museum.

That "free" ice cream comes at the beginning of your path through the museum, and the single scoop is included in your $38 entry fee. For many of the larger ice cream shops in town, donating free ice cream to the museum is no big deal, as Eater tells us. Take, for example, Bi-Rite Creamery. Sarah Holt, a representative from Bi-Rite, labeled their relationship to the MoIC as a partnership. Holt also told Eater that this partnership was "an opportunity to celebrate the fun and happiness of ice cream, and to introduce Bi-Rite Creamery to even more locals."

But on the other hand, that donation marks a pretty hefty hit on some shops' sustainability. Over at Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, co-owners Annabelle Topacio and Ian Flores remarked how they were at first excited to be featured at the MoIC, but were later disappointed to have been asked for a donation of ice cream. Topacio said to Eater, "We were upset at the idea [of donated ice cream], because we're artists. When you think of a museum, you think you're supporting artists." Flores agreed, saying, "We don’t even make that much ice cream a week," and later estimated the potential cost to them to be about $30,000.

The MoIC responds via a spokesperson saying that the ice cream isn't "donated," to their mind. "Museum of Ice Cream personally selects local creameries in each city as a tribute to their location. It is a mutual partnership and celebration of ice cream." *

Garden Creamery, one of the newer shops to open (and a new entrant into SFist's Best Ice Cream in San Francisco list) in the Mission, felt the same. Erin Lang, who owns the shop, said, "We’re tiny. It’s basically my boyfriend and I making everything. We couldn’t give away free ice cream and keep up with the shop." But where MoIC may have missed out, another "selfie factory" museum/experience, the Color Factory, has gained — they're offering a special "bright yellow soft-serve" to folks after they romp around in a ball pit of yellow balls. Of that particular partnership, Lang said, "The Color Factory wanted to work with us because we are a small vendor, and they were fine with paying us."

The MoIC has opened up thus far to some pretty heavily mixed reviews from folks. Many are excited about the quirky, colorful nature of the museum, finding it endlessly entertaining and a veritable font of perfect opportunities for sweet photos. Wired's review of the museum said as much, as they called the experience a "selfie factory," along with its spiritual sibling, The Color Factory.

Their dive into the whys and wherefores of these museums turned up some pretty damning quotes from art critics, including this particular line from the LA Times' art critic Christopher Knight: "These manufactured entertainments aren't significant art exhibitions any more than a Chuck E. Cheese arcade or the Block of Fame at Legoland. They're just snobbier."

But that being said, while "museum" may be a misnomer (with the MoIC's historical element being minimal at best), we can't dispute the fact that 25-year-old founder Maryellis Bunn has tapped into something that some segment of the populace wants, however superficial. But with the millions that this and the LA iteration of the Museum of Ice Cream are bringing in in ticket sales, maybe they should stop acting like a non-profit and pay for their damn ice cream.

* This post has been updated with the response from the Museum of Ice Cream.

Related: Photos: Here's Your Sneak Peek At The SF Museum Of Ice Cream, Which Opens To Ticketholders Sunday