Handel's Homemade Ice Cream Scoops Up Success with Unparalleled Support

By: Helen Bond
Published: October 6th, 2023

There’s a lot to love about franchising with Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. With 115 locations across 11 states, Handel’s continues to thrive with plans to add 30 new locations by year-end 2023–and more on the way.

The premium legacy ice cream brand is on the fast track to smart, strategic growth fueled by an unbeatable franchise blueprint for sustained success.

“The sky is the limit,” says Jody Nerone, Vice President of Franchise Development at Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. “We have a huge opportunity for the right individuals to join our organization to bring the best ice cream in the world to a community near them. We have proven recipes and procedures, maintain our commitment to the highest quality, and provide an exceptional experience to all our wonderful customers.”

Handel’s Scoops Up Strong Franchise Support

Handel’s has been in the sweet business of selling fresh homemade ice cream since 1945. Every day, each location serves up freshly crafted, small-batch ice cream created with ingredients, techniques, and proprietary equipment unique to Handel’s. The Canfield, Ohio-based brand’s popular tagline, “We Never Skimp,” holds true for its franchise support too.

Here’s the scoop on how Handel’s sets its franchise owners up to soar from the start:

• Prime Site Selection: Franchisees benefit from Handel’s extensive experience in identifying the best locations, led by a director of real estate with over 25 years of real estate industry expertise.
• Design and Construction: Hands-on corporate team members assist with store layout and design to capture the welcoming, nostalgic atmosphere that keeps loyal guests coming back. Franchisees tap into help every step of the way, including test fits, plan review, general contracting bids, and the entire construction process from beginning to opening day.
• Distribution: Handel’s has mastered distribution, ensuring every location churns out the frozen dessert franchise’s famous creations using the same high-quality ingredients.
• Comprehensive Training: An intensive 10-day training session at the corporate home covers all day-to-day aspects of running a Handel’s scoop shop, from stock placement to new employee training and a grand opening marketing plan. And it doesn’t stop there. Franchisees can look to dedicated staff on-site for at least a week during each store opening and their own personal Franchise Business Consultant for ongoing support.
• Financing Options: Handel’s has partnered with the financial lender and franchise specialist ApplePie Capital to help entrepreneurs secure capital for new units, acquisitions, remodels, refinance out of SBA debt and free up personal collateral.

More Growth Ahead

Owning the Handel’s brand is a prime opportunity that means so much more. The brand seeks to expand with franchisees who align with the core values of family, traditions, and community.

“It’s a very humbling business to be part of because people choose to come to Handel’s. We are a family business serving families, and all of our franchisees have their families involved at different levels,” Nerone says. “So instead of opening up the gates to an investment opportunity for everybody, we are looking for prospective franchisees who will be brand ambassadors and engaged in the business as true partners.”

Handel’s is targeting growth in the Southeast and new markets, including Houston, Raleigh-Durham, Atlanta, and Chicago. Get started on the sweetest path to owning an award-winning business when you head to handelsicecream.com/franchise/becoming-a-franchise-step-by-step/.