How Handel's Ice Cream is Churning up Growth in Franchising

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is scooping up more success as a legacy franchise opportunity that just keeps getting sweeter.

The beloved ice cream brand, celebrating the milestone reach of 100-plus stores in 2023, remains on the fast track to more impressive growth with plans to rapidly expand its footprint in new markets across the U.S.

For entrepreneurs looking to be part of a thriving franchise family, there’s a lot to love about Handel’s—dubbed the No. 1 ice cream on the planet by National Geographic.

“We truly believe that we are not selling the franchise as much as we are gifting it,” says Jim Brown, Senior Vice President of Relationship Management for Handel’s. “We look for partners that represent our core values – family, traditions, and community. We want our franchise operators to share our beliefs. We want the brand to be embedded into the fabric of the communities we serve. Whether the relationship is tied to sports, schools, or non-profits, we want our customers to know we are so much more than ice cream. Our growth has been intentional and emotional.”

A Proven Brand with Passionate Fans 

Originating from the humble Youngstown, Ohio kitchen of founder Alice Handel, Handel’s has been winning customers' hearts for over 75 years. The brand is renowned for its fresh handmade, batch-by-batch creation process, familiar red, blue, and white awnings, and the best Yelp reviews around.

While Handel’s continues evolving as a modern brand, the secret to the company’s enduring success has remained the same.

Each day, every Handel's location across the country delivers the unique experience of fresh, homemade ice cream made one batch at a time using ingredients, methods, and specially designed equipment exclusive to the brand.

“Tradition really sets us apart from the competition,” Brown adds. “We are still utilizing Alice Handel’s recipes that were developed over 78 years ago, and we constantly aspire to stick to our home-grown roots, despite our rapid growth.”

This dedication to tradition and quality, paired with phenomenal growth, makes Handel’s a standout franchise. Among the time-tested brand’s most recent accolades, Handel’s ranked among Franchise Times’ prestigious Fast & Serious list, signifying its intelligent growth, was named among Nation’s Restaurant News Top 500 Restaurants in America, and earned a spot on the Top 500 Franchises by Entrepreneur. And, just this month, the brand was featured by TasteAtlas as one of the 100 Most Iconic Ice Creams of the World.

Handel’s seeks to expand with partners committed to the same excellence and sustained store growth as the brand moves to bring its legendary ice cream to even more dessert lovers nationwide.

“As we grow, we look for franchisees that are actively engaged in all business operations, have a passion for ice cream, and are looking to have a positive impact in their local communities,” says Jody Nerone, Vice President of Franchise Development for Handel’s.

With 112 locations in 11 states, Handel’s projects to open a total of 40 ice cream shops in 2023, targeting strategic expansion in the following markets:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Chicago, Illinois
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 
• Denver, Colorado
• Greensboro/High Point/Winston Salem, North Carolina
• Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Houston, Texas
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, Virginia
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Francisco Bay Area, California
• Washington D.C./Baltimore, Maryland area

Ready to discover your opportunities to franchise with a winning brand? Head to handelsicecream.com/franchise/becoming-a-franchise-step-by-step/.

SPONSORED BY:

Learn More