Mitchell’s Ice Cream
Customer
Mike and Pete Mitchell, owners of Mitchell’s Ice Cream in Cleveland, Ohio, started out as incredibly eager, bright-eyed entrepreneurs with a passion for creating delicious homemade ice cream. After working day in and day out to successfully build their business, they were able to expand, becoming a popular local ice cream destination. Currently, Mitchell’s has nine ice cream shops open throughout Cleveland and it is a passion for them to keep local ties to the community.
Challenge
Mike and Pete had a fair share of offers to do “big things,” but opportunities like co-branding, mall developments, and expanding outside of Cleveland always felt too far from their vision. Wanting to expand on their own terms led them to the vibrant neighborhood of Ohio City where they found an abandoned movie theater that they thought was perfect for an ice cream shop. However, obtaining the building seemed like a big reach, but not out of reach.
“Everybody wants to grow, grow, grow. We don’t. We really don’t. We want to do something special, something local.” – Mike Mitchell, co-owner, Mitchell’s Ice Cream
Solution
With the help of KeyBank, they were able to secure a historic preservation tax credit and the loans needed to renovate the space. They rehabbed the building in a historically preservative way. “What was once a theater is now two levels, and you can look and see the ice cream being made,” Mitchell explained.
Results
Today, the theater offers Clevelanders a unique kind of show where the best handmade ice cream takes center stage. “Customers can come in off the street and just watch us make ice cream,” Mitchell said. “And people do, and everybody takes out their phones, and people sometimes stand for a while and watch, sometimes they sit five minutes and watch.”
To learn more, contact a local KeyBank Relationship Manager or visit key.com/smallbusinesswellness.
To learn more about Mitchell’s Ice Cream, visit mitchellshomemade.com.