Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is bringing six new shops to the Cincinnati area, extending the chain’s reach in the state where it began more than 80 years ago. The first location is expected to open in late summer 2027, with additional parlors to follow under a signed franchise agreement.
The expansion comes as national and regional brands compete for customers who have plenty of choices beyond the familiar ice cream chains. Handel’s announced the new Cincinnati-area agreement with Royal Scoop LLC in a September 28 release.
Six shops are planned around Cincinnati
All six locations are intended for the greater Cincinnati market. The development partner, Royal Scoop, is a local group whose principals have experience running restaurants and hotels. Raj Patel, the group’s operational principal, said the operators were attracted to the company and the support behind the brand.
The first store is planned for late summer 2027. That is a target, not a confirmed opening date, and the September announcement did not provide six street addresses or a complete opening schedule.
The news is notable because Handel’s was founded in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1945. An Ohio-born ice cream company expanding into Cincinnati decades later connects an established regional name with a large market that its franchise team says has shown strong interest.
The six-shop agreement gives the company a defined development partner and a store count. It does not mean six new shops are operating now. Site selection and buildouts will determine how quickly the rest of the Cincinnati locations arrive after the first.
What Handel’s serves
Handel’s specializes in homemade-style ice cream sold by the scoop and in other frozen treats. Its Ohio origins are part of the chain’s identity, and the company has been expanding into additional states through franchise operators.
Earlier in 2026, the brand announced development activity in the Chicago area, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and Fort Collins, Colorado. The Cincinnati deal is a separate six-unit commitment, not an addition to a single national store-opening count for this year.
For local residents, the most immediate detail is the late-summer 2027 target. No announcement has identified which Cincinnati neighborhood will receive the first shop, so shoppers should avoid treating any specific storefront as confirmed until the company or its franchisee names it.
The bigger takeaway is that a business founded in northeast Ohio is making a substantial move toward southwest Ohio. Six locations are on the drawing board, but the first scoop from a new Cincinnati Handel’s is still expected next year.
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