Get your lactaid ready because Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream opened today at 1784 Old Morganton Road in the Lowes Foods shopping plaza. This is the 151st Handel’s location and the fifth in North Carolina; the chain began in Youngstown, Ohio, where franchise owner Jim Flanagan and GM / COO Ted Yatsko grew up.
Jim and Ted have their own sweet backstory. “When you’re a senior in high school you know everyone. When there’s a new face, you know there’s a new face,” says Ted. After talking with his parents about the “new kid,” he learned that Jim was actually a cousin who just moved schools to Youngstown. They were two scoops in a cone from there (that works, right?).
Jim, who’s been working in the area as an orthopedic surgeon since 1997, bought the franchise 18 months ago and asked Ted to help him run it. Even though he had to move from Maryland, Ted said the decision was a no-brainer. “The real reason we’re doing this,” he said, “is because it’s a taste of home.”
Each Handel’s location offers 48 flavors, varying store-to-store, of ice cream including a sherbet, sorbet and “ice.” Flavors are subject to change seasonally. Banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, milkshakes, pup cups and more are also available. Ice cream is also for sale in quarts or pints. Jim says, “When you’re getting ice cream there’s just something about getting it through a window,” which is how the original location was and why they opted for the walk-up windows for ordering.
There will be a separate window for online orders like grubhub, uber eats, door dash or ordering directly from Handel’s online. The shop is open seven days a week. Hours are Sunday through Thursday noon to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday noon to 10 p.m. Hours may extend in summer.
