After relocating from Southern California to Hendersonville in 2020, Nicole and Paul Fedorchek thought that they had finally found their perfect hometown. Friendly people, beautiful scenery, suburban convenience – Hendersonville seemed to check all the boxes.
Except one.
Hendersonville did not have a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream shop.
Bruster’s is a well-known dessert chain with locations in 22 states and two foreign countries. The company is famous for offering dozens of flavors of ice cream that is made in-store daily from fresh ingredients. Bruster’s also has its own dairy in Titusville, Pennsylvania that produces fresh, creamy milk for each store using a proprietary pasteurization process.
“Back in California, my husband and I were huge fans of Bruster’s. It was our Friday night date place,” says Nicole. “It didn’t take very long before we really began to miss our old hangout.”
Many people would have just moved on and found a new special ice cream shop, but not the Fedorcheks. They missed the fresh ice cream that was the hallmark of Bruster’s, and they were determined to do something about it.
“My husband always wanted us to have our own business, and after we moved to Hendersonville, we began researching different businesses,” says Nicole. “Deciding to open a Bruster’s was an easy choice for us, as we loved the company values and the product.”
Subsequently, the Fedorcheks moved to put their plan into motion, rapidly obtaining a Bruster’s franchise agreement, securing a site on East Main Street and lining up their business financing. Everything seemed to be moving on schedule until August 2021, when Paul passed away unexpectedly.
“After Paul’s passing, I had to put everything on hold and regroup for a while,” says Nicole. “However, I knew that I was going to finish the project.”
Nicole began to get her plans back on track in early 2022. Construction on her store started in March 2022 and was completed at year's end.
What had begun as a dream for the Fedorcheks finally became a reality as Bruster’s of Hendersonville opened its doors for the first time in January 2023. Since then, locals have been able to experience the joy of savoring ice cream made daily in their own hometown. Customer favorites include fresh-baked waffle cones, hot fudge brownie sundaes and the signature Bruster’s banana split. The store also offers a wide variety of custom ice cream cakes and pies that are perfect for special occasions.
“My personal favorite flavor is butter brickle,” says Nicole. “It is made from our special salted and buttered caramel ice cream mixed with delicious chocolate-covered toffee.”
Along with working hard to become Hendersonville’s neighborhood ice cream shop, Nicole and her team are also heavily involved in community activities and in supporting local causes.
“Making a positive difference in the community is very important to me,” says Nicole. “At Bruster’s, we support a lot of different organizations, including our local schools and our first responders. We also help many young people develop real-life work skills by providing them with their first jobs.”
With spring in full bloom, and summer not far behind, now is the perfect time to visit Bruster’s for a cold, tasty treat. The store’s drive-thru ordering windows and outdoor patio are open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
350 East Main Street,
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.537.1114