Mitchell’s Gets a Fresh New Look

Things look a little different inside Mitchell’s Candies and Ice Cream Shop, nowadays. 

Owner Jeffrey Himmel recently decided to ditch the former, conservative color scheme for a vibrant new look. What used to be cream-colored walls are now electric pink. It certainly adds a new energy to the old Homewood haunt.

"Investing in your business is very important," Himmel said. "You need to remodel every few years."

Mitchell's was last updated when Himmel bought the business from longtime owner George Mitchell, when fate—it seems—brought the two together.

It was a cold January day in Chicago five years ago when Himmel's sons asked him to pick up some ice cream for a family event. He couldn't help but recall childhood memories of getting ice cream at Mitchell's (when it was still located located in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, before it moved to Homewood in 1971). Nostalgia got the best of him, and he decided to make the drive down south to stock up.

When Himmel pulled up to 18211 Dixie Highway that day, he saw a sign in the window. It read: "Last Day." 

Himmel was dismayed.

"The odds of that are so remote," he said.

Himmel walked inside and immediately made George Mitchell an offer. A couple days later, a deal was struck.

Now, five years later, Himmel is still investing in the business that captivated his imagination as a child. He hopes the new look will draw a younger crowd so that a new generation can share his same experiences and create memories of their own.