For 25 years, Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream has been a beloved destination for sweet treats in Cleveland. The shop, founded by brothers Mike and Pete Mitchell in October 1999, emerged from a simple idea sparked during a visit to Seattle. While in the city, Mike, then a senior at The Ohio State University, accompanied by his brother Pete, discovered a lack of homemade ice cream shops. Inspired, they decided to bring the concept back to their hometown.
“We were searching for some ice cream for dessert but couldn’t find any homemade options at the time,” said Mike Mitchell, a resident of Cleveland Heights and a member of Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights. “So we thought, ‘Let’s open our own ice cream shop.’ We returned to Cleveland, where our hearts are, and got to work on making it happen. Here we are, 25 years later.”
To commemorate this milestone, the ice cream shop introduced a special birthday cake sundae, featuring a slice of homemade birthday cake, a scoop of birthday cake ice cream, fudge, whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry.
Looking ahead, the shop is preparing its holiday flavors for November and December, following the recent launch of seasonal fall offerings. New flavors for early 2025 are also in development, according to Pete Mitchell, a Solon resident and fellow congregant of Temple Israel Ner Tamid.
Over the years, Mitchell’s has expanded from a small team of five part-time employees to a thriving local chain with nine locations, including Beachwood, Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, Solon, Rocky River, Strongsville, Westlake, Avon, and Cleveland’s Ohio City and Uptown neighborhoods. Notably, the Beachwood and Ohio City locations hold kosher certification from Cleveland Kosher.
In addition to their storefronts, Mitchell’s products are available at Heinen’s, select Giant Eagle Supermarkets, Dave’s Markets, and independent restaurants across the Cleveland area, including the Boston Store in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The Mitchell brothers remain dedicated to their mission of sharing homemade ice cream with the community in a meaningful way. “We envisioned a company that reflects our values and our community,” Mike said. “Our goal was never to become the biggest ice cream company in the world, but rather to create something special to us. For 25 years, we’ve fulfilled that mission, and we intend to keep it going.”
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