Popular ice cream brand founded in Ohio coming to the suburbs

A much-loved ice cream brand founded in Ohio is heading to the suburbs.

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream parlors are slated for Algonquin, Elgin and Geneva/St. Charles, with the first location expected to open in late 2027.

The brand, known for massive portions and making its ice cream on-site at each parlor, was founded in 1945 when Alice Handel started serving homemade ice cream from her husband’s gas station in Youngstown, Ohio, using fruit from her backyard and personal recipes. The company now has more than 170 locations.

Handel’s offers 150 seasonal flavors, with 48 rotating monthly at each location. All the classics are represented in myriad creative iterations, plus less common options like pink lemonade, pumpkin cheesecake chunk, green tea and taro.

The parlors also serve a variety of vegan sorbets, sherbets and ices.

In 2006, National Geographic named Handel’s as “Best Ice Cream” worldwide in the book, “The 10 Best of Everything.”

Castro Rafeedie, an entrepreneur who grew up in Youngstown, will be the brand’s first franchisee in Illinois. He said he researched other ice cream franchise opportunities before making his decision.

“We looked at other concepts where everything was made in a central facility and shipped in, and that just didn’t appeal to us. Knowing that Handel’s still makes the ice cream on premise was a huge differentiator and really the moment where we knew this was something special,” Rafeedie said in a news release. “We believe in the brand, we trust the brand, and we genuinely love it as a family.”

The fast-growing company has signed 20 new franchise agreements in seven states in 2026, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas.

“We’re so excited to be expanding into Illinois with such an incredible operator,” Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Handel’s Ice Cream, said in the release. “As our brand continues to rapidly grow across the nation, partnering with franchise owners like Castro, who have the deep restaurant background, the deep roots in the community, and the drive to grow, is exactly what is going to make Handel’s a mainstay in the Chicagoland area for years to come.”