HERITAGE 1870 - Louis C. Graeter started selling ice cream in Cincinnati street markets. THE 80 s - Graeter s opens its first franchised store in Kentucky in 1984. Over the next 20 years, two dozen new franchised Graeter s stores would open in Lexington and Louisville, and in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio. 1900 - Louis marries Regina Berger and they move to 967 E McMillan where they make ice cream in the back room, sell it in the front, and live upstairs. THE ROARING 20 s - As other mom & pop ice cream stores close in the face of competition from new mass-produced ice cream manufacturers, Regina sticks with the old-world French Pot freezer process and begins opening new ice cream parlors. THE GREAT DEPRESSION - While many businesses close, Regina, joined by the second generation - her sons and now partners Wilmer and Paul - buys an old printing plant out of bankruptcy and moves ice cream production to Mt Auburn in 1935, continuing to open new stores in neighborhoods across Cincinnati. WWII- The War brings sugar rationing, but Graeter s is able to continue growing, bringing much needed sweet relief to war weary families. BABY BOOM ERA - Wilmer sneaks some chocolate from his mother and pours it into a pot of frozen ice cream, inventing Graeter s now signature famous chocolate chunks. Regina dies on December 26 th 1955, and three years later Paul retires, and the third generation, Dick, Lou and Jon join Wilmer to continue the Graeter legacy, joined a few years later by their younger sister Kathy. 1995-60 years after moving to Mt. Auburn, a new expansion doubles the size of the Reading Road plant. Graeter s begins shipping ice cream packed in coolers with dry ice via express next day delivery direct to consumers. 2004 - Having worked in the business for 15 years, the fourth generation - Bob, Chip and Richard, formally take over management and ownership of the company in 2004. 2010 - Building on their success, Graeter s opens a new plant and begins producing ice cream to distribute to new markets. Bob, Chip and Richard stay true to Regina s stubborn passion for quality and continue to produce ice cream in two-gallon batches using only the French Pot freezers. TODAY- Graeter s is the only commercial ice cream manufacturer anywhere in the world to use French Pot freezers, and the two-gallon batches are the smallest in the industry. The original plant in Mt Auburn had only four French Pots. The new plant in Bond Hill has 32 French Pot Freezers running day and night to keep up with demand.
FRENCH POT PROCESS There is no marketing advantage like a product advantage. Our perfection of the traditional French Pot process is the true magic behind the making of Graeter s, the world s finest ice cream. By creating just two gallons at a time, Graeter s achieves an irresistible creaminess that s completely unlike any other ice cream. We start by using only the finest ingredients, such as: fresh cream and milk from Ohio farms that pledge not to use any artificial growth hormones; 100% cane sugar; egg custard; and gourmet chocolate for our signature chocolate chips. Our custard and flavor bases are VAT-pasteurized to develop the best possible flavor profile. The highest quality ingredients and flavorings are then added in order to be frozen into 2-gallon batches of ice cream. Small-batch freezing is what separates Graeter s from other ice cream manufacturers. We use 2-gallon French Pot freezers, a technology that s been around for over a century, but long since abandoned and forgotten by the commercial ice cream industry. Our small batches are hand-swirled by our dedicated artisans in 2-gallon French Pots. Each 2-gallon batch of ice cream is slowly frozen, resulting in a rich, creamy texture.and lastly, to get the ice cream into a pint we use one of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment available - a big spoon.on an average day we hand-pack nearly 20,000 pints!
INGREDIENTS At Graeter s we re committed to bringing you the finest, creamiest, most deliciously indulgent ice cream in the world. It s why we use only the highest quality ingredients in everything we make. - Fresh cream from farms that pledge not to use artificial growth hormones. - 100% pure cane sugar. - No hydrogenated oils, therefore no trans fats - Gourmet chocolate from Peter s Chocolate, the inventor of milk chocolate. - Belgium cocoa powder. - Premium, hand-selected Oregon black raspberries, black cherries, and strawberries. - Pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. Graeter s is famous for the massive chunks of gourmet chocolate found in our signature chip flavors. We create these unique chips by pouring our own specially prepared liquid chocolate into the French Pot just as the ice cream is finishing. The result is nothing short of spectacular, velvety smooth chunks of sweet chocolate in every bite.
FANATICAL FOLLOWING Few things bring people together, spread joy, promote happiness, and encourage smiles and laughter like ice cream. Whether seen as a treat, regarded as a reward or deemed a daily obsession by the seriousconnoisseur, Graeter s holds a special place in the hearts of kids, grown-ups and everyone in between. Some fans are so passionate they pay $13 a pint to have Graeter s shipped overnight to their door on dry ice! Whenever Graeter s becomes available in a new market, these Fanbassadors love to spread the word in person and via social networks. Over 5,000 ice cream socials have been hosted across the country by these devoted and most loyal followers. What others are saying about Graeter s: Huffington Post We got to taste Graeter s signature Black Raspberry Chip flavor, and we haveto admit, we fell in love with the creaminess, the deep purple berry flavor and the randomly-sized, smooth as silk chocolate chunks throughout. -May 2013 Winner of the 2015 Munchies Award for Best Ice Cream in the country. USA Today Cincinnati s legendary Graeter s chocolate chips would more aptly be called chocolate slabs, a perfect pairing with the maraschino cherries that appear in every spoonful. -Februrary 2012 Martha Stewart Everday Food Magazine A scoop of black raspberry with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chunks hits the (sweet) spot on a hot summer day. -June 2012