Anyone who's known me for a while knows that one of my greatest weaknesses is Graeter's ice cream. I enjoy it not just because the ice cream itself is amazing (and it is!) but I also love that it's a local company.
Graeter's Ice Cream got its start in 1870 in Cincinnati, Ohio with Louis Graeter. He used what is called the French Pot process to make the frozen treat. It's very labor-intensive and can only be done in small two-gallon batches. Graeter's is the only company in the world that still uses this process to make ice cream for those reasons.
It started small, with Louis Graeter selling his frozen dessert at street markets in Cincinnati. The business grew when Louis married Regina Berger in 1900, when they opened a storefront on 967 E McMillan Street. Regina and her sons weathered the Great Depression and continued growing the family business when they purchased a bankrupt printing plant and moved production there in 1935. One of the things that makes Graeter's ice cream so unique is the large, thick chocolate chips. This came about when one of Regina's sons and business partners made off with some of his mother's chocolate and poured it into one of the French pots full of frozen ice cream. In the 1980s, the business continued to expand, open retail outlets in the surrounding area in places like Dayton, Lexington, Louisville, and others. They also began to sell their product through the Cincinnati-based grocery chain, Kroger.
The company is still family-owned and operated with the current fourth-generation including Richard Graeter as President and CEO, his cousin Bob as head of manufacturing while his brother Chip oversees retail operations. Today, you can find Graeter's at Meijer, Kroger, as well as retail stores in the Dayton area. The company also ships its ice cream all over the country.
Sources:
http://ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=64133705&site=eds-live
http://www.graeters.com/our-history
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