This is Table Crumbs, a weekly series of bite-sized food happenings in Columbia and the Midlands. Email Jane at jgodiner@postandcourier.com for story ideas or questions
National ice cream chain opens franchise in Columbia
On May 9, a new franchise of Handel's Homemade Ice Cream will open its doors on Columbia's Forest Drive. The first 100 guests to line up during the store's two-day grand opening celebration will receive one weekly free ice cream for a year.
The team behind the new franchise is comprised of co-owners Cody Sheriff, a former firefighter in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, and Kandi Bubonic, who owns four Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises across the country, including two in Columbia. The pair met in 2019, when Sheriff began managing Bubonic's Arlington, Texas location.
"She wanted to help me get my first business, and so we wanted to partner," said Sheriff. "We looked at probably 70 different brands, and when we tried Handel's, we fell in love with the product immediately."
For Sheriff, whose parents and brothers are Handel's franchisees in Texas, establishing his own location was a natural next step.
Sundaes from Handel's Homemade Ice Cream.
"The Handel's family is quite literally my family," added Sheriff in a May 6 press release. "No other brand has a generational ice cream shop."
Bubonic, who has experience running multiple businesses in Columbia, believes the city is the right home for a store like Handel's.
"We are so excited to help fill a void in the Forest Acres community," she said in the press release. "We have been missing an ice cream parlor for a while and I can't wait for our friends and neighbors to come enjoy our homemade ice cream."
Handel's, named the "#1 Ice Cream on the Planet" by National Geographic, will feature 47 flavors at the new Columbia location, including rotating seasonal flavors and 20 staples. From the store's roster, Sheriff recommends the Strawberry Cheesecake Chunk, Confetti Brownie and the in-season Carrot Cake flavors.
"Everyone always says, 'Made fresh daily,' and I was like, 'Yeah, okay, whatever,'" said Sheriff. "But we actually have two different ice cream machines in the back of the house. Our walk-in refrigerator space is larger than our recent freezers, because we get so many fresh ingredients."
According to Sheriff, the team initially ran into permit and architectural issues when establishing the 1,475-square-foot location, but are confident about the grand opening. In fact, Sheriff has already signed a lease for a second location in Harbison.
"It took us over a year to get this location open," he said. "But the second location is flying by."
The Columbia Handel's ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on May 9. They will begin serving customers, and offering 100 line-standers free ice cream, right away.
Other food news you might've missed
Conservation carbonation: On May 9 at 10:30 a.m., Riverbanks Society and Peak Drift Brewery will announce two new collaborative brews at the Riverbanks Botanical Garden. A portion of funds will support wildlife conservation, both at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and globally.
Spring Supper:Â Columbia-based chef Wesley Fulmer will host six pop-up dinner events, featuring a four-course meal of seasonal ingredients, at Proof at Claussen's. Highlights include Bushel & Bags Farm Roasted Red Beats with Lowcountry Creamery yogurt, Peculiar Farms Pork Belly with Indah Coffee jus and Level Farms Strawberries with sweet corn cake and goat cheese whip. Tickets range in price from $135 to $540 based on ticket quantity and can be purchased here.
Mother's Day and Beyond: If you're looking for a restaurant to take your parents or family members when they're visiting Columbia, look no further than this list curated by the Free Times and The Post and Courier staff.
