BUCYRUS — Mark Pfeifer has been “churning” out options for re-opening his homemade ice cream business during the coronavirus pandemic, and he finally came up with a solution.
He will unveil his premium ice cream flavors beginning Sunday, April 19, but the familiar red fire truck will be parked at the business’s new production facility at 1683 Marion Rd. drive-through and pick-up orders only will be accepted from outside the window.
“It’s going to be a little different than it was in the past,” said Pfeifer, who founded Mark’s Homemade Ice Cream four years ago after working on his family’s dairy farm. “But we figure people need a little bit of an escape and hopefully ice cream can provide that in some way.”
Instead of ice cream cones, Pfeifer said only pint containers and scooped dishes will be available in flavors customers scream for, including chocolate, peanut butter and cookies and cream. For opening day, Mark’s will also debut a brand-new flavor that includes coconut, he said.
The business, which had been renting kitchen space at the Trillium Event Center, moved production to the Southern Lights Shopping Center last August. There Pfeifer churns out small batches of the frozen dessert using two ice cream machines and two batch freezers.
The ice cream – normally peddled from two mobile trucks bearing the dairy cow logo – is known for its fresh ingredients, which are mixed into the rich milk and cream base. The smaller batches, he said, allow him to control the density of the mixture, which is key in ice cream making.
Pfeifer said the business has grown since the early days when batches were mixed by hand in a farmhouse on the family property. It is now being sold by the pint at Carle’s Market and Cooper’s Mill in Bucyrus, with wholesaling the next goal for the operation.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Mark’s has also partnered with Pisanello’s Pizza in town, which had to close its dining room last month due to the governor’s mandate. Besides pies, their take-out menus now feature pint containers of Mark’s ice cream.
At least for the start of the 2020 season, Pfeifer said customers are being asked to come prepared with either exact change or a credit card in order to limit the handling of cash for both customers and staff. In addition to pint containers, kid’s size and single and double scoops will be available.
“Our goal at Mark’s Homemade at this time is to keep everyone safe and hopefully get back to our normal way of operating very soon,” he said. “We’re excited to see our customers and get into this ice cream season.”