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Handel's Ice Cream Opens Store in Poland Township
By George NelsonPOLAND, Ohio -- It's hardly a scoop to report that Handel's ice cream is really, really popular. Contractors were putting the finishing touches on the new Handel's Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt store on Clingan Road as customers drove in -- or just walked down the road -- for a cone, sundae or whatever treat would satisfy their sweet spot Thursday afternoon."We live about five houses down so we watched them build it," said Larry Matzye, who was there with his wife, Lynne, and their children, Nina and Tad. "We're definitely excited about it because my wife loves ice cream as well as the kids, of course," he said.Leonard Fisher, owner of the Handel's chain, said he convinced his blacktop contractor to complete the parking lot for this weekend, just one final step in getting the store ready. His store manager hired the 25 employees, who trained at the company's store on South Avenue in Boardman. "So it wasn't as difficult as some franchises where they have to wait until they're ready [with the building], then they have to train for four days and they open three days later," he said. "Here I had the girls come in two days ago and start making up all the ice cream." Each of the chain's 27 stores -- five, including the new Poland location, are company-owned -- are designed the same, so employees can be brought in from other stores as needed. The dipping cabinets are labeled to help workers keep track of the 48 flavors offered on a daily basis. Employees receive about 10 hours of training, and initially half the crew on each shift will be employees from existing stores "to make it an easy transition," Fisher said. Employees get acclimated to their jobs in about a week or two. "That's why we wait two weeks or so before we have our actual grand opening," he explained.Faith Ferguson of Canfield, assistant manager at Poland, said it takes about one month to learn to do everything. Ferguson, a biology major at Youngstown State University, was hired about five years ago at the Canfield store then worked at several locations before transferring to Poland. She said she wouldn't still be with the company if she didn't love her job."I love the people that I work with and that's what makes my job great," she said. "A lot of the customers are happy people," she added. "They're getting ice cream -- they're in a good mood."On a busy summer night, even with eight serving windows, Fisher said lines will be six to 10 people deep. At the original Handel's in Youngstown, which had only four windows, they once served 1,700 customers in three hours.Confirming the tastes of the thousands who regularly patronize the homegrown ice cream chain, Handel's has acquired a collection of celebrity customers over the years. Its best-known ambassador is Bill Cosby, who Fisher said calls "all the time" and recently had some ice cream sent to fellow comedian Ellen DeGeneres. He once sent butter pecan to Tom Cruise, who was at Nelson Ledges racing with Paul Newman, and an hour later the actor came by to thank him. On the day the Poland store opened, Fisher learned that golfers in town for the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic refer to the tournament as "the Handel's stop." Other celebrity patrons include singers Pat Benatar and Shania Twain, who had Handel's for her birthday two years ago, actor and Youngstown native Ed O'Neill, and singers Maureen McGovern of Boardman, Ben Vereen and the late Mel Torme."But we wouldn't be where we are today without the people of Youngstown, Mahoning County and Trumbull County," Fisher pointed out. "We've been around since 1945 and they're great supporters."The grand opening for the Poland Handel's is planned for Aug. 8. Though a number of specials will be offered that weekend, Fisher said this weekend the company is giving away cones to the first 250 customers each day. He is optimistic about the Poland location, observing there's about 35,000 people in the three-mile ring around the store and 56,000 people in the five-mile ring. Yesterday Joanne Colombo came from much further away to indulge in her favorite Handel's flavor, grape. The Austintown native, who now lives in Hudson, said she tries to visit each Handel's store she can, though she passed one in Massilon a week ago. "I've been to nine of them at least," she said. "It's the best ice cream anywhere." Contact George Nelson: [email protected]"