Hartzell’s: Open for business

New local flavors sweetened the streets of downtown Bloomington last week when Hartzell’s Ice Cream, an independently owned store, opened its doors for business Sept. 22 on Dunn Street.

Kirkwood Avenue is popularly known for its abundance of independent restaurants, and local owners Hartzell and Hilary Martel are providing a warm welcome, according to a Hartzell employee.

“We’ve had quite a lot of business this week. We have over 30 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream and 24 flavors of soft-serve, and people really seem to be liking them,” employee Kayla Holman said. “There’s a lot of college kids coming in, so it’s been fun.”

Employee and senior Jason Minsterketter said the downtown location has sparked energy in the store.

“I really like working downtown. Kirkwood has a cool environment, and there’s a lot going on,” Minsterketter said. “I also really like all the flavors this store has right now.”

Hartzell’s is featuring ginger spees and pumpkin ice cream throughout the fall season.
Junior Kyle Mackey said he likes that another independently owned restaurant has made downtown its home.

“The more local, the better. I appreciate the hard work independent owners put into their stores and shops,” Mackey said.