A revered ice cream chain from Ohio has scooped into Hurst: Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, known for its many flavors, opened a location at 6100 Precinct Line Rd., Ste. 100, in Hurst on Thursday, May 21.
Handel’s was founded in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio by Alice Handel, who started by making ice cream with fruit from her backyard; the company is said to still use her recipes.
Ice cream in the Northeast is serious business, and Handel's has a library of more than 100 flavors of ice creams, sorbets, and sherbets, with a minimum of 45 offered at each location. That includes your basic chocolate and vanilla but also unique options such as:
- Cherry Magnolia: black cherry ice cream with whole black cherries, brownie pieces and chocolate chips
- Monkey Business: banana cake batter ice cream with bananas, caramel ripple, and brownie pieces
- Blue Monster: blue vanilla ice cream with Oreo and Chips Ahoy! cookies
- Spouse Like A House: malted vanilla ice cream with Reese’s Peanut Butter ripple and chocolate-covered pretzels
- Meri’s Joy: coconut ice cream with toasted almonds and chocolate chips
Three overloaded cones at Handel's Ice Cream. Photo courtesy of Handel's
The Hurst location is owned and operated by father-and-son team George and Cameron Summers, who are bringing a personal (and geographical) connection to the brand. The family lived for more than 20 years in Columbiana County, Ohio — not far from Handel's original hometown of Youngstown — where the ice cream chain was a longtime family favorite.
The owners say in a release that their affection for Handel's even extended to Cameron's wedding, where the ice cream was served to guests.
"It has always been my dream to own something authentic with unbeatable quality," says Cameron Summers in the release. "After seeing the reaction to Handel's at my own wedding, we knew we had to bring this experience to Hurst. We aren't just opening a shop; we're building a destination for families and friends to come together and make memories."
