Handel’s offers year of free ice cream during grand opening of Peoria shop

PHOENIX – Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is making its grand opening in Peoria extra sweet by dishing out a year’s worth of free ice cream to dozens of lucky customers.

The festivities kick off Thursday, when the first 100 guests at the shop in the Park West shopping center at Northern and 99th avenues will receive free ice cream for a year.

The store will have other giveaways throughout the three-day celebration, and kids can get their photos taken with Elsa and Spider-Man from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The new Handel’s, the fifth in the Valley, will serve up flavors such as Black Cherry, Buckeye, Coffee Chocolate Chip, Graham Central Station, Oree-Dough and Salty Caramel Truffle from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The walk-up location has tables, shaded areas and a splash pad and will offer pickup, delivery and catering.

It will be the second Handel’s operated by franchisees Joe and Victoria Maher, who opened their first location in Surprise three years ago.

“We are thrilled to open our second location and bring the fun-filled flavors that are made fresh daily to even more people in our state,” Victoria Maher said in a press release.

“We knew from our first experience with Handel’s that we wanted to be part of the company and are honored to help grow the iconic brand.”

Handel’s got its start in 1945, when Alice Handel started making ice cream from her personal recipes in Youngstown, Ohio.

The chain now has more than 100 shops in 11 states.

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