“Friends, family, and colleagues, I present to you
the graduating class of 2017”
This gave me chills. Not from the outburst of almost 12,000 students realizing their days of pulling all-nighters and seemingly endless group projects are finally behind them. Not from 90,000 people singing “Carmen Ohio” to commemorate this accomplishment. No, these chills have been a long-time coming. After years of attending conventions, talking to an endless number of experts, and of course, taste testing along the way, these chills came from turning a dream that was created around a kitchen table into my newfound reality. From something that appeared to be the end of an era, but is in fact the introduction to a new age. These chills marked the beginning of Jubie’s Creamery.
Who am I? I’m a Daughter, Sister, Buckeye, and Ice Cream Enthusiast.
My name is Julie Domicone. Also known as Jules, Jule, Jubes, and my personal favorite (for obvious reasons) Jubie. I’m a daughter of two incredible parents, a sister of two older, sometimes wiser brothers, a proud buckeye alumnus, and a devoted ice cream enthusiast. Born and raised in Beavercreek, Ohio, I grew up with great friends and a family I loved being around so much I decided to go into business with them.
How did that happen? It all started with a deal that couldn’t be ignored.
A little over six years ago, my parents came across a building for sale in Fairborn, Ohio on the corner of Kauffman Avenue and Dayton-Yellow Springs Road. They decided to buy it even though they had no preliminary business ideas, and it was in desperate need of a make-over. With my mom’s financial experience and my dad’s entrepreneurial background, it was too good of a deal for them to pass up… so they didn’t. I was a junior in high school at the time just starting to apply for colleges. While I always knew I wanted to follow in both of my brothers’ footsteps and become a Buckeye for life, I was not so sure about what I wanted to do post-graduation. The timing could not have been more perfect. What started as a deal that couldn’t be ignored triggered a light bulb to go off over all three of our heads. It just made sense. Together, we would open an ice cream shop.
Why ice cream? We just can’t get enough of the stuff.
While many can attest to ice cream being a part of their lives, it has become a long-standing family tradition in the Domicone household. During the early years, I remember arguing with my brothers over who’s turn it was to help make it from scratch using the old-fashioned, crank machine that we still own today. Growing up, it never failed to make an appearance at all our birthday parties and proved to be the perfect sidekick to any celebratory meal. As I got older and began to experience some of life’s hardships, ice cream pledged its loyalty to help alleviate any pain. Even now, this delicious frozen dessert finds its way back into the strictest of diet plans. To us, ice cream always went hand in hand with lively conversation and exceptional people to share it with. We just can’t get enough of the stuff, but can you blame us?
How did we get to today? Four years of classes, three internships, and one National Championship.
Once the building was purchased, we began to brainstorm the gap that I would fill in this endeavor. What we landed on not only bridged the expertise between both my parents, but also proved to be something I have found my niche in. After four years of classes, three enlightening internships, and one National Championship, I graduated from The Ohio State University in May of 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Operations and Logistics Management. During that time frame, we took countless trips around the country to better our ice cream knowledge and solidify the idea that this business, in fact, will work. From attending seminars and talking to small business owners at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association Convention to graduating from Steve Christensen's Scoop School in St. Louis, Missouri, we not only have gained a plethora of ice cream skills, but also have come up with great ways to apply this newfound knowledge.
What’s next? Keep reading, because we’re giving you a front row seat.
Over the next six months or so I will be spending all my time putting our long-awaited plan into motion to ensure that we have a seamless opening in spring of 2018. Not sure what that means? Keep reading, because we’re giving you a front row seat during this blog series. Whether we post construction updates as the building comes back to life, introduce you to our new equipment, or give you a sneak peek of some of our delicious menu items, we want you to be (almost) as invested in this as we have been since 2011. So sit back, relax, and check in to see what we have been up to as the countdown clock to spring officially begins. Now there's only one question that still remains…
Are you excited yet? We can’t wait.
-Jubie