WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | SUMMER 2018 43
When
Pete and Mike Mitchell
were deciding where to open their first ice cream shop in the late
1990s, Shaker Heights was at the top of their wish list. The brothers
grew up in University Heights and spent a lot of time in Shaker.
“We used to go to restaurants there. One of my favorite
sporting goods stores Newman-Stern was there,” recalls Pete
Mitchell. “We’d go to the ice cream parlor Draeger’s for hot
fudge sundaes.”
But at the time, the Mitchells struggled to find a space
that met their needs.
“So we opened our first shop in Cleveland on the West Side,”
says Mitchell. “But even from before that date, we really were hoping
to find what we thought would be an ideal spot in Shaker Heights.”
Turns out, that ideal spot is the Van Aken District, where
Mitchell’s Ice Cream will open its 10th Cleveland-area location
this summer.
“It’s taken us over 18 years, says Pete. “But we’re thrilled.”
The Van Aken District offered the Mitchells the opportunity to
build a new, stand-alone ice cream shop in the middle of Shaker’s
new downtown. The shop’s site is on the corner of two new streets in
the District, Walker and Tuttle roads, and faces the District’s “living
room,” a public green space in the center of the development.
Ample parking, accessibility, public space, and a retail mix
that emphasizes the local – and independent – also influenced the
Mitchells’ decision to open in the District.
“Shaker has always supported independent, communitybased
destinations and businesses and that’s how we view
ourselves,” says Mitchell. “Even though we’ve grown over the
years, we still think of ourselves as a small Cleveland company.”
Indeed, every batch of Mitchell’s ice cream is still handcrafted
at its Ohio City Kitchen & Shop, using locally sourced
ingredients – including milk, cream, eggs, fruit, and more –
whenever possible (learn more at mitchellshomemade.com).
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