Hospitality remains the primary focus for Handel's establishment.
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, a beloved brand with roots in Youngstown, Ohio, established in 1945, continues to thrive by prioritising hospitality over digital conveniences. According to an article published by Restaurant Business, written by its editor-in-chief, this approach has been key to their success.
The article, which delves into the brand and strategies of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, was inspired by a conversation on the Restaurant Business podcast, A Deeper Dive. This episode focused on the importance of hospitality in the ice cream business for Handel's Homemade Ice Cream.
Despite the growing trend of brands investing in mobile apps, Handel's Homemade Ice Cream has chosen to keep its focus on hospitality and the in-person customer experience. This decision allows them to prioritise direct customer interaction and service quality at their physical locations. As a result, the company has seen a 38% increase in sales last year.
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream offers an extensive menu of ice cream flavours and has been franchising for decades. The company trains its franchisees to make the ice cream on site, ensuring consistency in quality across all locations.
Jennifer Schuler, named CEO of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream early last year, is a testament to the company's commitment to hospitality. Schuler, a longtime industry journalist, writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions, and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants.
The article emphasises that brands thrive when they focus more on hospitality, a point echoed in the conversation on A Deeper Dive. Handel's Homemade Ice Cream's decision to prioritise hospitality over a mobile app is a strategic move that has paid off, demonstrating the power of personal connections in the business world.
- Jennifer Schuler, now the CEO of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, often writes about aspects like restaurant finance and the economy, specifically focusing on the quick-service restaurant sector, showing the company's commitment to maintaining a robust and financially successful business model.
- Despite the widespread adoption of mobile apps among brands in the food-and-drink industry for convenience, Handel's Homemade Ice Cream opted to prioritize their bricks-and-mortar establishments, emphasizing hospitality and a more personal customer experience, which led to a 38% increase in sales last year.
- To uphold their brand's quality and consistency, Handel's Homemade Ice Cream has been franchising for years, ensuring franchisees are trained to create ice cream on-site, and the company continues to expand through franchising, demonstrating a successful approach to business growth and development while maintaining their core values in lifestyle and hospitality.
