Innovation

Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream is rooted in the community. The business model showcases its commitment to the consumers, suppliers, and the environment. The company has established itself to be a premium ice cream shop using locally sourced ingredients. Mitchell's also gives back by benefiting the employees, customers, and farmers. The philosophy is simple: make progress, whether it’s working with fair traders, being empathetic to people, paying fair wages, or treating suppliers with respect.

Inspiration

Mitchell’s started with two brothers who wanted to formulate a positive space for their community while providing a quality product. They wanted to create a unique experience for families and people of all ages to enjoy, and everyone has happy memories around ice cream! Since opening their first store in Westlake, Ohio, Mitchell's has opened many stores in the Cleveland area and have created a sustainable business model based around Ohio.

Overall impact

Mitchell’s has created a lifelong impact in the Northeastern Ohio region. The business always prioritizes using the best ingredients: organic, fair trade, fresh, and local and to being energy efficient. This was shown by the fact that the company installed efficient lighting in their flagship store. This investment saves 365,000 annual kilowatt-hours and has reduced CO2 emissions by 680,000 pounds yearly. Mitchell’s has also implemented energy-efficient refrigeration compressors, solar panels on the roof generating 18,000 watts, and skylights to increase natural light for the health of their team members. The skylights also reduce the amount of energy needed for lighting. During the winter, waste heat from the freezers is captured and recycled to heat water throughout the building. Mitchell’s has also implemented a water conservation effort that includes water-saving faucets, permeable pavers, and water-efficient kitchen equipment to minimize wastewater, along with a Rainwater Harvesting System which redirects the flow of rainwater from the rooftop to a 10,000-gallon underground cistern to re-use the water.

Business benefit

Mitchell's has made consistent efforts to ensure the providing of an amazing product without sacrificing sustainability while helping the community. Mitchell has taken over older buildings in Cleveland and turned them into sustainable buildings that draw energy from the environment around them, such as an old movie theater in Cleveland’s Ohio City

Mitchell's also places a heavy emphasis on local support. The company has always supported the community and created a positive impact by taking actions such as partnering with farms. The growers and producers are not only sustainably-minded but are also committed to providing the finest quality ingredients, which give Mitchell’s ice cream an advantage over the competition.

Social and environmental benefit

Mitchell’s goal is to create a positive impact for the people and communities with whom they interact, eventually obtaining financial success through such efforts. This benefits the employees, community, and environment. They focus on providing a delicious product that connects the customers to a greater good. Employees who work at Mitchell’s are proud to see the company actively supports a healthier environment. Mitchell’s tries to make sure they’re doing the most for the environment as well as for the community.

Interview

Colleen Lalka, Store Manager