Handel's ice cream invading Graeter's territory

Driving the news: Handel's plans to open six area shops by 2030, starting in West Chester in fall 2027.

• Exact locations are TBD.

Flashback: Youngstown's Alice Handel founded the chain in 1945, selling ice cream from her husband's gas station using fruit grown in her backyard.

• Handel's now has nearly 200 locations nationwide.

On the menu: Handel's has more than 150 recipes, including Graham Central Station, Buckeye and Ooohh...Dough!

• Each shop carries 20 staples and rotates other flavors based on customer preferences.

Why Cincinnati: Handel's has fielded inquiries about expanding here for years but waited for the right local operator, according to Erin Snyder, Handel's head of franchise development.

• Royal Scoop LLC, a group with restaurant and hotel experience, will lead the expansion.

What they're saying: "Cincinnati is clearly an ice-cream town, and that's one of the things that makes the market so exciting for us," Snyder tells Axios.

The big picture: Handel's is in the midst of a national expansion, with plans to enter markets in Chicago, Texas and Colorado.

• The company reports 11 consecutive years of same-store sales growth, with shops averaging $1.1 million in sales in 2025.

The intrigue: Cincinnati loves its local brands and traditions, especially when it comes to ice cream.

• UDF has more than 100 stores across Greater Cincinnati, not counting Graeter's, Aglamesis Bros. and all the small neighborhood spots.

The other side: Snyder says Handel's has its own "point of differentiation" compared to its local competitors — ice cream made fresh in small batches at every shop, using methods passed down from its founder.

• She hopes that approach will help Handel's become "part of the community's already strong ice-cream culture."

What's next: There's no firm opening date for the West Chester location, but it could offer an early test of how Handel's fares against Cincinnati's established favorites.