Handel’s Names New CEO Amid Continued Growth
CANFIELD, Ohio – Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has named Jennifer Schuler its chief executive officer.
Schuler most recently was CEO of Wetzel’s Pretzels. She replaces former CEO Rich Matherne.
The ice cream chain that was born in Youngstown in 1945 has approximately 130 stores and more than 65 franchisees.
Andrew Brennan, Handel’s board member, said Schuler’s experience and her focus on franchisee success made her a “terrific fit” for the position.
“She is a highly talented and people-oriented franchise leader who brings great passion and authenticity to her work, and she had fallen in love with Handel’s Ice Cream before we had even met her,” Brennan said.
Prior to Handel’s, Schuler spent nine years with Wetzel’s Pretzels – first serving as chief marketing officer, then as president, and as CEO for the past five years. During her time as CEO, Wetzel’s grew its store count from 200 to 350 units, and average unit volume grew by 24%, just under $1 million, according to a press release from Handel’s.
Schuler and her husband also became franchisees in the Wetzel’s system. They purchased a franchise in Minneapolis, which gave her first-hand experience running a franchise and understanding what tools and support she needed from the franchisor to be successful.
Schuler’s professional marketing career also includes five years as marketing manager at General Mills. She also served in senior executive roles for a private equity-backed consumer health care company and an education technology startup.
“I’m truly inspired by its nearly 80-year legacy of consistently delighting guests, while demonstrating phenomenal economics,” Schuler said. “Handel’s has achieved strong sales performance consistently across 13 states through our franchisees, with the brand performing extraordinarily well in new markets as it grows.”
She believes the company is uniquely poised for much more growth.
“Rarely do you encounter a brand with such a rich legacy, seamlessly intertwined with an unprecedented opportunity for new franchisees to expand,” she said.
Handel’s system sales rose from $29 million in 2019 to over $130 million expected in 2024. Growth has come through continued success in both existing and new markets.
Handel’s currently operates in 13 states, including recent expansion into South Carolina. The brand opened a flagship store in Clemson, South Carolina, earlier this year.
The company was created by Alice Handel and Lenny Fisher, who grew the brand from a single Scoop Shop on the South Side of Youngstown into a chain that is known for fresh ingredients and quality.
Handel’s shops offer 48 flavors daily and more than 140 flavors that rotate seasonally.
In 2023 and 2024, Handel’s was ranked in Franchise Times’ Top 400 list, recognizing the largest franchise systems in the United States, and its Fast & Serious, a list of the smartest-growing franchises for the year. The brand is also recognized by TasteAtlas for one of the top 100 Most Iconic Ice Creams of the World.
Handel’s has been named No. 1 Ice Cream on the Planet by National Geographic, one of the Top 10 Best Ice Cream Businesses by USA Today, one of the Top 500 Restaurants in America by Nation’s Restaurant News and Top 500 Franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine.
Pictured at top: Jennifer Schuler, new CEO of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
