HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Family-owned business Heather’s Homemade Ice Cream has been at their location in Hopkinsville since 2019, selling delicious homemade treats to the community through their slow churning ice cream process. However, for owner Eric Engel, growing the business has been an emotional journey.
“Originally this business was born from tragedy,” Engel told Christian County Now. “Our daughter, Heather, in 2014 had contracted brain cancer. She passed away in 2015 after a 14-month battle. Before she got sick, she and I had started making ice cream at home just for fun. Then, some friends of ours said, ‘Hey that’s really good, you’ve got to think of selling that.'”
Engel said they started off small, selling homemade ice cream out of a friend’s roadside stand, but with Heather’s condition, the business ended up being put on hold. After Heather’s passing in 2015, Engel said they paused all operations, until they realized it was time to bring the business back in her honor.
“We started back, named the business after her, and her picture is also in the logo,” Engel said. “That’s where it started; in a pull behind, enclosed trailer, which we still have and use today.” After moving around Hopkinsville from place to place with their trailer, a brick-and-mortar opportunity came available on Fort Campbell Boulevard in 2019, which is where the business calls home today.
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When asked what the opportunity means to their family to honor Heather’s legacy through the family-owned business, Engel said a lot of times when people pass away, they’re forgotten about. “By everybody except a few close families and friends, “he said. “Heather was 12 years old when she passed, so that’s kind of young to impact a lot of people, but she did impact quite a few people in such a short time.
“We just felt like she was so special; a lot of folks start businesses for all kinds of reasons, but we wanted to make that connection of the ice cream, to her and that passion and dream we had together. We wanted to carry that on and build on the legacy of her; what makes people smile more than ice cream. I think we make her proud,” Engel said.
Engel said Heathers Homemade Ice Cream is a Christian based business, as their faith has carried their family through the loss of not only Heather, but another child as well. “If not for God and the strength he has given us, we wouldn’t be here either,” he said.
Seasonal flavors and customer favorites, slow churning process
Heathers Homemade Ice Cream is known for their stable flavors of homemade chocolate, vanilla and cookies and cream. However, they also do seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice and more. “We also do baked apple in the Fall,” he said. “Around Christmas time, we also do a peppermint brownie that’s really good.”
Engel said he believes what people like the most is not any particular flavors though, but the overall quality of the ice cream. “We make it all here ourselves,” he said. “We use all raw ingredients: cream, milk, sugar and a little love mixed in. And we use a slow churning process; we use salt and ice to freeze and churn it, so there’s a lot of labor that goes into it, as well as time and attention to detail. I think it comes through in the taste and feel.”
“There’s a lot of small businesses in this community that people drive by every day and have no idea they are there,” Engel said. “When you’re driving through town, especially downtown, there’s a lot of small businesses that are just overlooked…There are really some nice gems in the community that you can go and experience and enjoy. They may even become your new favorite business.”
Heathers Homemade Ice Cream is open Monday through Thursday, from noon to 8 p.m. at 2711 Fort Campbell Boulevard. On Friday and Saturday, the business is open from noon to 9 p.m. Heathers Homemade Ice Cream is closed on Sundays.
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