A line formed around the building on Thursday when Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream opened at the Shayden Summit Mall. The excitement can largely be attributed to a contest the franchise ran on opening day. On Thursday, the first 100 customers were offered free ice cream for a year. By 9 a.m., they had run out of free ice cream certificates. But they didn’t run out of ice cream.
Cristina Ferguson and her brother Andy Nava opened the newest Handel’s location—an ice cream shop that originated in Ohio—after visiting the Dallas location. They brought their partners in on the fun, and together, the four of them opened Reno’s newest ice cream parlor, boasting more than 100 unique flavors (with 48 available daily).
Handel’s took over the old Vans space at the Summit, next to Mt. Rose Wine Co. They began remodeling around February to convert the clothing and shoe store into an ice cream shop. The back room is dedicated to making ice cream, and there is ample indoor space for dining in and ordering.
For those familiar with the Handel’s brand, you may be aware that many locations operate as just a walk-up window. While Reno has installed a walk-up window for quick orders, they also have ample dining space indoors, so ice cream doesn’t have to be a seasonal treat.
It’s hard to pick a favorite flavor when you have many options. Employees sampled a few during their training leading up to the grand opening, and we heard flavors such as “Taro” and “Blue Monster” among favorites. Ferguson recommended the banana cream pie.
I gave the “Ooohh… dough!” a try. The creamy vanilla ice cream was piled three scoops high—which I was informed is the standard “small” size—and spun with Oreo cookie crumbles and chunks of cookie dough.
The sizing follows the brand’s tagline, “We don’t skimp.” If a small is three scoops of ice cream towering precariously over the edge of a waffle cone, then imagine how big a medium or large is. Seasonal flavors pop in and out, so there will sometimes be new flavors to try. In general, the daily menu will keep favorite flavors in stock.
“Blue Monster” is a famous flavor for the brand overall. It features delicious blue vanilla ice cream made with Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies. Those with dietary restrictions can order from the sorbets and sherbets menu.
If you thought a hometown ice cream store—we know Handel’s is a national brand, but the local branch is owned by a brother and sister team who grew up in Reno (and their spouses)—was going to be small, guess again.
Not only is the pristine white space punctuated with bold blue accents large enough for several families to dine in at once, but the large service area where the ice cream scooping happens behind the counter is big enough to accommodate the robust staff. There are 28 employees mostly made up of local high school and college students. Of course, they aren’t all working at once.
Handel’s opened on Thursday and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. In addition to the indoor dining area, there is an outdoor space where families can hang out. Parents can even enjoy a glass of wine from the neighbors while their kids fill up on ice cream.
