"Scooping Success: The Sweet Journey of Daniel Meister, Owner of Holman's Ice Cream Parlour"
A BizVoice interview with Daniel Meister
Meet Daniel
“ If you have a great idea and are willing to put in the work to make it happen, the community will be there to support you.” – Daniel
1. What is your name and the name of the business?
2. How long has your business been operating, and how long has it been operating in the Greater Summerside area?
Our business was founded in Summerside and has been operating since 2016.
3. Can you tell me about your business and what products/services you offer?
We create PEI’s best homemade ice cream and then combine it with various baked goods, sauces and add-ins to make decadent sundaes. We have over 100 flavours that we make in store and rotate through. Some of our most famous flavours include Lemon Curd Blueberry, Cookies and Cream, Coconut Cream Pie, and Honeycomb Crunch. We also have short term rental suites available.
4. Tell us the most unique feature of your business
The most unique feature of our business is that we create almost everything from scratch. We don’t rely on pre-made mixes but make all of our ice cream bases and most of our stir-ins from scratch. Our cones and desserts are all made using our own recipes.
5. What inspired you to start this business, and what made you choose your location?
My parents created Holman’s Ice Cream in 2016 and then sold it to me in 2023. When our family moved to Summerside in 2016 we would often walk past the Holman’s Heritage property and would compare the gardens to an Ice Cream Parlour that we loved visiting when we lived in Germany as a family. At the time the Holman’s building was being used as a giftshop.
In 2016, the Holman’s Heritage House was going to be demolished if a purchaser was not found. The local heritage society approached my parents at that time to see if they would be interested in purchasing the building and restoring it like they had another historic home in town. After reviewing the details of the property my parents decided to buy it and turn it into Holman’s Ice Cream as you know it today! We loved the ambience of the property and thought it would be the perfect place to enjoy an Ice Cream and luckily for us the local community agrees with us!
6. How has the local community responded to your business?
We have amazing support from our local community! Whether it is loyally coming sometimes weekly for ice cream or spreading the word about our business and product to their friends, our customers do an amazing job of supporting us and allowing us to have a profitable business and continue to create amazing products!
7. What do you love most about being a business owner in the Greater Summerside area?
I love how much support there is for me as a business owner. There are so many organizations that are so focused on helping me and other businesses including the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, Explore Summerside and Downtown Summerside to name a few. Not only that, but other businesses are often reaching out to me to see how we can collaborate in various ways! I also love how close our community is! Before our Opening Day this year, I was running errands and I had so many random strangers tell me how excited they were to see us opening! We do our best to deliver a quality product and experience and it is so amazing to see our community respond to that and be passionate about what we offer.
8. Are there any specific challenges or advantages to running a business in the Greater Summerside area?
I think that both the challenge and advantage to running a business in Summerside is the size of the community. Because of the small community businesses may face hurdles in reaching a broad customer base and accessing specialized resources. However, the limited competition gives the opportunity to stand out with distinct offerings. Moreover, the tight-knit community fosters strong support for local businesses which helps us build customer loyalty and brand reputation.
9. What are your plans for the future of your business in the Greater Summerside area?
We hope to one day be able to retail our Ice Cream to other locations. This would require us to expand to a new location because our current location does not have the size to produce ice cream for anything more than the parlour.
10. Any exciting upcoming project or initiative that your business is working on?
We opened earlier than ever this year and are really excited about our new warm desserts including our Cinnamon Buns and Lava Cakes.
11. What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business, and why should they choose the Greater Summerside area?
Summerside is an awesome community! If you have a great idea and are willing to put in the work to make it happen, the community will be there to support you. We have had amazing success finding great employees here in Summerside!
Stop by Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour today!
286 FITZROY STREET, SUMMERSIDE
(902) 436-5675
