Located in the Forest Acres area at 4619 Forest Drive, the new outlet will open on 9 May 2024.

The 1,475ft² walk-up location will offer a variety of local and seasonal flavours, including Black Cherry, Buckeye, Coffee Chocolate Chip, Graham Central Station, Carrot Cake and Salty Caramel Truffle/

The store, which will offer pickup, delivery and catering services, will be headed by franchisees Cody Sheriff and Kandi Bubonic.  

The duo has been in business together for five years, with Sheriff previously managing one of Bubonic's bakeries in Arlington, Texas.

Sheriff, a former firefighter and US Marine Corps Reserves member, is also planning a second Handel's location in Harbison, South Carolina.

Handel's Forest Acres co-owner Cody Sheriff said: “The Handel’s family is quite literally my family! My parents, as well as my brother, have locations in Texas. The freshly made, top-of-the-line ice cream is enough to convince anyone to open a location. We don’t skimp on ingredients, and that truly shows when you take the first bite.

“We saw a unique opportunity in Columbia because there’s nothing quite like Handel’s here. No other brand has a generational ice cream shop, so we are excited to bring the Forest Acres community together through this new location.”

Bubonic, a business owner with four Nothing Bundt Cake bakeries, is introducing Handel's to the Forest Acres community.

Handel's makes fresh ice cream daily, using original methods and recipes, with 48 flavours available daily and more than 140 seasonal varieties.