Last year Meghal Patel and his Ameristop store in Bellevue became an Internet sensation. When word got out on the foodie Facebook group Chowdown Cincinnati about his soft serve ice cream offerings, people came in droves.
Patel’s soft serve business has been booming ever since.
“It’s pretty common for me to go through 20 gallons in a day,” Patel said. “When we bought the store, it was 20 gallons a week. And right now, I go through 150 to 200 gallons a week, and it’s not even summer yet.”
It was Patel’s willingness to go beyond the classic vanilla, chocolate and swirl that attracted ice cream enthusiasts of all ages. Perhaps the most popular is his chocolate peanut butter swirl, but he offers a wide and ever-changing variety.
“When we bought the store here, we saw an opportunity,” Patel said. “Since it’s a neighborhood store, there’s a lot of walk-in visitors. The previous owner had just one machine, and it was doing okay, but then we thought, why not explore flavors? We did a blueberry flavor first and that was an immediate hit.”
He began seeking out and working with different ice cream vendors to find new and interesting flavors. Photos circulated on social media of happy customers eating cherry cheesecake, German chocolate cake and other flavors, and the business took off.
“I do work with a few companies on the flavors,” Patel said. “And I do have some of my own flavors as well. I do butterscotch and caramel and coffee. Peanut butter I tried, but the signature peanut butter is not my own creation. That’s one of my best sellers.”
A family business expands
Patel’s uncle started the family business and remains his business partner. They have stores in Wilder, in Muddy Creek on the west side of Cincinnati and in Dayton, Ohio.
“My uncle has been in business since, I would say, 2007,” Patel said. “When he sees an opportunity, he says, ‘why not just explore it,’ you know?”
The Bellevue store is the first one he has managed himself. He runs it with the help of his mother and three employees. The store will celebrate five years in operation this summer.
Patel said he had planned to study chemical engineering and still may pursue that later, but decided to try his hand in the family business for awhile first.
“Business just seemed the way to go,” Patel said. “It’s not easier, but I like doing it. I like that no one tells me what to do. I wouldn’t mind working in an office, but this just has a lot more interaction with people.”
Many of his customers have noted, while the ice cream is great, it’s Patel’s friendly demeanor and personality that brings them back. He is a neighborhood favorite.
“Oh yeah,” Patel said. “I think, in my opinion, what do you do on your first impression with a customer counts. If you talk to them, remember what they get, it just keeps reminding people you are here… Like, if you’re nice guy, every time when they pass by they might think of you…You want to leave an impression so they keep coming back.”
His store is only a few blocks from the Bellevue Kroger store and a host of fast food businesses, yet Patel said he is not concerned.
“You don’t get the same service like you get here,” he said. “I know it’s a little bit expensive, but people pay for convenience. So even having Kroger right next to me and even having business competition, I don’t see it affects me in any way. I mean I’ve just been doing great here.”
Ice cream is nice, but beer is a passion
While his soft serve has taken off, Patel said his real passion is craft beer. After waiting months to get the right licensing, he was able to secure a draft beer license in October 2021. Since then, he’s been working with small craft breweries to bring special brews and to set up collaborations.
“Some of the beer I do specific contract for or I have struck a deal with them to be the only one who would have access to it,” he said.
One example is a stout called Mornin Delight, by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. out of Iowa. He’s done special collaborations with the company three times, he said.
“We just did a special collaboration with the Braxton Barrel House in Fort Mitchell. It was a stout, and we named it after the store, Ameristout. We sold 150 bottles in one day, 22 ounce bottles. It was one-of-a-kind beer.”
Sonder Brewing company, located in Mason, Ohio, is giving Patel exclusive rights to sell one of their beers in Kentucky. “It would be only one keg, and we will be the only one getting it,” he added.
Patel has other beer collaborations in the works but didn’t want to elaborate. He did admit, however, that he has done some work on an ice cream flavored beer. He currently offers Hella Orange Creamsicle, a hard seltzer by Rebel Mettle, a small Cincinnati brewery.
Beer, food and ice cream draws ’em in
He plans to introduce new beers at “pint night” events throughout the summer. He’ll be working with Rebel Mettle to bring in another special stout for a pint night on May 27. That night, he has also invited Rollin’ Bowls, a vegan food truck.
On May 22, Doo-Little’s Shack and Snacks food truck will bring its signature barbeque for a food event at the store as well. The truck is normally parked at nearby Bellevue Vets.
Patel said he would like to have more food trucks and is negotiating with his landlord. “That way we can have beer traffic, food traffic and dessert, ice cream traffic. So, an all-in-one weekend. There are not too many places in Bellevue with a parking lot this size. So, if I do it, I want to do it right…It can be win-win for Bellevue and for me, too.
Ameristop is located at 545 Lafayette Avenue in Bellevue.
