Handel’s Home made Ice Cream CEO Jennifer Schuler breaks down how the legacy model is scaling whereas staying true to its roots.
Handel’s Home made Ice Cream is coming into a brand new section of progress underneath CEO Jennifer Schuler, who says the 80-year-old model is targeted on balancing growth with long-standing custom.
Schuler, who was appointed to take the helm in March 2024, informed FOX Enterprise she is deliberately taking a measured method because the Ohio-founded chain seems to be to develop.
“I’ve heard individuals say, whenever you’re becoming a member of a brand new model or enterprise, do not are available in and cannonball within the pool and ship splash waves,” Schuler informed FOX Enterprise. “Begin by placing your toe within the water and getting a really feel for it — and that is very true with hospitality manufacturers and types which can be…80 years [old].”
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Handel’s Home made Ice Cream CEO Jennifer Schuler was appointed to take the helm in March 2024. (Fox Information Digital)
Based in 1945 by Alice Handel as a single neighborhood store, the corporate constructed its status on handcrafted ice cream. A long time later, entrepreneur Lenny Fisher expanded the enterprise by means of franchising, in keeping with the corporate’s web site.
Now, in what Schuler describes as its “third period,” Handel’s is targeted on additional scaling nationally whereas sustaining its core identification.
“We’re simply stewards of it,” Schuler stated. “… My job is to take what was true about it 80 years in the past and ensure we’re carrying that ahead with time.”
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An exterior view of a Handel’s Home made Ice Cream location. (Handel’s Home made Ice Cream)
The corporate has grown to roughly 175 places, with franchising remaining central to its technique. Nonetheless, Schuler emphasised that Handel’s has a extremely selective method.
“We’ve got a really excessive bar for the franchise companions that we herald and speak loads concerning the values of the enterprise and the imaginative and prescient we’ve for the enterprise,” she stated.
Schuler additionally famous that there’s nonetheless vital room for growth.
“There are lots of thrilling occasions forward for the model and lots of potential to develop as a result of there’s a lot white house,” she stated. “But, you’ve this confirmed historical past of the model that simply sort of retains on chugging.”
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Pints of Handel’s Home made Ice Cream are proven in quite a lot of traditional flavors. (Handel’s Home made Ice Cream)
In a aggressive dessert market, Handel’s is prioritizing consistency over traits.
“You are not going to see us introduce, like, a fig and olive kind of taste. … I guess there are some manufacturers on the market that do it nice — We’re not going to try this,” Schuler stated. “…. We’re going to do issues which can be very traditional and ship on these flavors very, very properly.”
Schuler stated her management method was formed partly by a year-long break after leaving Wetzel’s Pretzels, when she mirrored on what she needed in her subsequent position.
Assorted flavors of Handel’s Home made Ice Cream are displayed with toppings and serving utensils. (Handel’s Home made Ice Cream)
“I needed to be a part of a model that I believed might be particular in a group — a gathering place in a world the place there’s extra disconnection,” she stated.
That imaginative and prescient aligns with Handel’s identification, which Schuler believes units it aside within the digital world.
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“Particularly in occasions of uncertainty, when persons are feeling unsure concerning the inventory market or world conflicts, we typically discover that is when the ice cream enterprise is simply as regular and powerful as ever, as a result of it is the little pleasures in life that I believe individuals search out.”
