Beloved Home-Town Ice Cream Shop Under New Ownership

Published on August 17, 2017

buffs ice cream
Business owners Patty and Bradley Butcher (left), with SBDC consultant Amy Keth (right).

Buff's Ice Cream celebrated its grand opening under new ownership on June 17th with lots of food, ice cream and prizes to spare. However, Buff’s is far from a new business to the small, rural town of Brookville. Buff’s has been a major, local landmark since 1985 and a favorite place for the locals to stop to cool off during the summer months. 

New owners, Patty and Bradley Butcher, live in Brookville with their two sons and have long been Buff’s admirers. In fact, they live next door to the establishment!  When they heard about a potential opportunity to purchase their favorite family hangout, they jumped at the opportunity. Patty and Bradley have been in business for numerous years working together as the food contractor for Pinecrest Country Club. Combining their expertise has proven to be a winning combination.

Due to their culinary expertise, the Butcher’s have expanded the business product offerings starting with the additions of hot food and baked goods. They currently feature a different type of soup and a sandwich option that changes daily. Unlike the previous owner, they are planning on keeping the business open year-round. The Butchers capitalized on their previous restaurant knowledge to Buff’s already outstanding customer reputation for a renewed and improved local business to the community. Currently, Buff’s employs two full-time employees (owners) and four part-time employees. 

"The SBDC is very helpful in all stages of business planning. They are very patient too. With Amy Keth’s help there were no surprises."

– Bradley Butcher
Buff's Ice Cream

The Butchers reached out to the Clarion University SBDC early in the process for assistance in developing a detailed business plan. The Clarion University SBDC assisted the Butchers with market and industry research, constructing a business plan and financing options. This helped both Patty and Bradley understand the profit potential of the business and seasonal fluctuations they would likely encounter. With the Clarion University SBDC’s help, the Butchers developed a detailed business plan that was used to secure the needed funding to purchase Buff’s Ice Cream.