# Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

> Handel's Homemade Ice Cream is an Ohio-born ice cream parlor chain and franchisor built around a demanding bit of operational theater: every location makes its ice cream on premises. Founded by Alice Handel in Youngstown in 1945, the business has grown to more than 175 parlors across 20 states, offering a rotating selection drawn from roughly 140 recipes alongside sundaes, shakes, pints, novelties, catering and local fundraising. Its revenue engine combines retail sales at company and franchise shops with franchise fees, a 6% royalty and a brand-fund contribution of up to 2%.

- **Founded:** 1945
- **Headquarters:** Canfield, Ohio, United States
- **Founders:** Alice Handel (Founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 1,200 employees across the wider system, based on supplied company data; corporate headcount is not publicly disclosed.
- **Products:** Fresh-made ice cream, sherbets and ices, Cones, dishes and waffle bowls, Pints and quarts, Sundaes, splits, shakes, malts and floats, Handel Pops and frozen novelties
- **Notable:** Grew from a single Youngstown parlor to more than 175 locations across 20 states by early 2026., Opened 20 new parlors, entered three states and signed nearly 60 future units in 2025., Reported more than a decade of consecutive positive systemwide same-store sales growth through 2025.

## Products & services

- **Fresh-made ice cream, sherbets and ices** — A rotating in-store selection drawn from roughly 140 recipes, made in batches on the premises of each parlor.
- **Cones, dishes and waffle bowls** — Scoops served in cake, sugar or waffle cones, including dipped waffle-cone options.
- **Pints and quarts** — Hand-packed take-home containers available through local shops, with pickup and ordering options varying by location.
- **Sundaes, splits, shakes, malts and floats** — Made-to-order desserts and drinks using Handel's ice cream, sauces and toppings.
- **Handel Pops and frozen novelties** — Portable frozen treats including pops, ice cream sandwiches and chocolate-covered bananas, with store-level availability varying.
- **Catering and fundraising** — Local-store programs for events, sundae bars, group orders and community fundraising nights.
- **Franchise opportunities** — A licensed retail format with site selection, design, recipes, procedures, training and ongoing system support.

## Achievements

- Grew from a single Youngstown parlor to more than 175 locations across 20 states by early 2026.
- Opened 20 new parlors, entered three states and signed nearly 60 future units in 2025.
- Reported more than a decade of consecutive positive systemwide same-store sales growth through 2025.
- Franchised locations reported average unit volumes above $1 million for 2025.
- Ranked in the Franchise Times Top 400 in 2023 and 2024 and appeared in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 in 2023 and 2024.
- Recognized by USA Today among leading U.S. ice cream businesses and cited in National Geographic's 10 Best of Everything travel guide.
- Reached its 80th anniversary in 2025 with roughly 140 recipes in the flavor library.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Announced a multi-unit agreement for Handel's first Illinois market, with Chicagoland openings planned from the third quarter of 2027.
- **2026-04** — Appointed Naveen Dasa as chief financial officer after adding several industry veterans to the leadership team.
- **2026-03** — Prepared to enter Florida with its first location in Oviedo.
- **2026-02** — Reported 20 openings, three new states, nearly 60 signed future units and continued same-store sales growth during 2025.
- **2025-07** — Marked its 80th anniversary with limited offers and a flavor library that had grown to roughly 140 recipes.

## Links

- Website: https://handelsicecream.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/handels-ice-cream
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/handelsca
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handelsicecream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handelshomemadeicecream/

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13