Bay Area's 1st Handel's Ice Cream Now Open In Walnut Creek

WALNUT CREEK, CA — There is some sweet news for ice cream lovers in the Bay Area. The region's first Handel's Homemade Ice Cream franchise is now open.

Handel's opened Thursday at 1273 Locust St. in Walnut Creek. It is the 46th location in California. In Northern California, there are Handel's in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville and Folsom.

Walnut Creek was the sixth Handel's to open this year across the nation and the third one in April.

"We chose Walnut Creek because we really wanted to give exposure to the entire East Bay," franchise owner James Greenetold KRON4. "We feel like Walnut Creek is one of those places where everyone comes in and meets up. Build a brand that way."

Since January, Handel's has opened in Hendersonville, Tennessee; Stevenson Ranch, California; Clemson, South Carolina; Arlington, Texas; and Downington, Pennsylvania.

Alice Handel opened the first-ever Handel's in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio, where customers were treated to homemade ice cream made with fruit from her backyard garden and her personal recipes. Handel's homemade ice cream has been made fresh daily at each store since 1945. The third edition of National Geographic's "10 Best of Everything," a global guide for travelers, has Handel's as the No. 1 ice cream in the world.

These days, Handel's ice cream shops in 14 U.S. states offer a range of 48 flavors of homemade ice cream; who is ready for a scoop or two?

The Walnut Creek Handel's is open 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. seven days a week.