Ever since he was a kid, Luke Wiley has been obsessed with ice cream. “Even when I got older, the bar scene wasn’t really my thing,” he says with a laugh. “But when the dessert menus come out, I’m that guy.”
So it makes sense that Luke and his wife, Melissa, are proudly carrying the venerable Loveland Dairy Whip into a whole new era. In doing so, they’re mindful of many of the things that made LDW such a community favorite in the first place.
“We kept the original menu, of course,” he says. “And added a few items, if anything.”
While growing up, Luke traveled frequently as part of a military family. For the past 25 years, however, he’s called Greater Cincinnati home.
The Loveland Dairy Whip, on the other hand, opened in 1955—when ice cream stands across the country were booming and exotic flavors like pineapple had families lining up for more.
Back then, it would’ve been impossible to imagine a viral video showing off the Dairy Whip and its dancing employees, garnering a quarter million views on TikTok in the process. But, here we are. “It’s pretty wild,” Luke admits.
Before taking the plunge into a tasty world of creamy summertime delights, Luke was already known to many as a successful financial planner. For nearly 30 years, he’s been focused on helping clients “stay retired,” as he puts it—managing their retirement distribution plans. He even wrote a bestselling book about it; The 52-Week Low Formula: A Contrarian Strategy that Lowers Risk, Beats the Market, and Overcomes Human Emotion was published in 2014 and has twice been an Amazon bestseller in its wealth management section.
What’s that have to do with ice cream? Luke says that his financial acumen significantly impacted his decision to pursue the Dairy Whip.
“I study companies that have a competitive advantage,” he explains. “When I heard that the Dairy Whip was for sale, it really kind of fit into how I identify stocks for client portfolios … except it wasn’t a stock. I studied financials, met with the owners, looked at its uniqueness within the community, and its loyal customer base.”
He contacted LDW, but it was already under contract with a potential buyer. A few months later—having reflected on it more during a trip—he called them again. The rest, as they say, is (recent) history.
“I was already looking over the years for some type of family business, and the stars aligned,” he says.
But it’s the Dairy Whip’s existing recipes that are the key, Luke found, in making its products stand out from the competition. “I dug into it, and studied the ingredients … and it’s true, man,” he smiles again. “It’s literally a really, really quality product. It’s awesome, it’s the differentiator. I didn’t want to change a thing.”
For example, Luke breaks it down, vendors at a recent food expo he attended tried to talk him into saving a few bucks by going with a lower butter fat. Luke told them, “No can do.” He explains that while one well-known national chain might get away with using 4 to 5 percent butter fat, the Dairy Whip uses a full 10 percent. “So it costs me,” he admits. “It costs me more per cone, but that’s why people drive from all over the city to get our ice cream.”
Aside from maintaining integrity of the classics, a couple original items have also made a debut, including their signature new Loveland Frogman (think mint ice cream, mint chocolate cookie crumbles, amusing eyes, and even a toy frog). There’s also a dairy-free Dole Whip now on the menu, and a decadent s’mores parfait.
Patrons can also finally skip the ATM; the Loveland Dairy Whip now accepts credit cards and Apple Pay in addition to old-fashioned cash.
“I also bought 12 brand-new picnic tables,” Luke says, which is all part of his emphasis on making sure their customers see that the Dairy Whip’s new owners “really care about how we’re serving them.”
And, speaking of serving customers, the Dairy Whip brings its summertime goodness directly to customers and community events via its mobile “miniLDW” ice cream truck. Available for both public and private events, the miniLDW has recently appeared at functions for the St. Susanna Parish School and Loveland High School. “I underestimated how much increased demand we’d have for it,” Luke happily shares.
Luke also stresses that the Loveland Dairy Whip won’t be changing hands again anytime soon.
“For me, it’s a legacy,” he says. While two of his four children have already begun helping out behind the counter, he’s already envisioning grandkids pitching in, too.
TheLDW.com | 611 W. Loveland Ave, Loveland | 513.683.0992
“It’s so cool owning something that’s such a community treasure ... it’s something we don’t take lightly.”