Local resident Mark Pfiefer brings homemade ice cream to Bucyrus

BUCYRUS -  Mark Pfiefer has brought the classic ice cream truck to Bucyrus with his homemade ice cream business. 

Mark's Homemade started in 2016, while Pfiefer was still in college. While he considered taking his business elsewhere, but thought his hometown of Bucyrus was the perfect match

"Here it is a little bit easier to be a small business," he said. 

Growing up on a dairy farm in the area, The University of Akron graduate said his family always made ice cream growing up in small batches.

Mark's Homemade still has a family focus with most of Pfiefer's family members working in different areas of the business. 

"It's weird for some people to work so close with their family but I worked with them on the farm," he said. 

Mark's Homemade has several flavors currently offered including maple bacon, vanilla, peanut butter, strawberry, coffee, butter finger, cookies and cream, butter pecan, peanut butter chip, coffee chip, mint chocolate chip, lemon pie, chocolate fudge brownie and apple pie. The truck is usually parked outside Family Video in Bucyrus Tuesdays through Friday.

They also do a fair amount of events and are booked for an event about every weekend this summer. 

All flavors are crafted by hand in the kitchen at the Trillium Event Center in Bucyrus where he rents kitchen space. Mark's Homemade Ice Cream is different than others because of the density and is considered a "premium" ice cream.

"With ours, one scoop will fill you up," Pfiefer said. 

Currently, the two best sellers are butter pecan and cookies and cream. 

The business is run out of a converted Holmes Township EMT truck that Pfiefer and his dad converted into a food truck. They recently acquired a second truck and have hired three high school employees to help keep up with the demand. 

"I drive the ice cream truck more than I drive my actual car," he said. 

Looking towards the future, Pfiefer said that he hopes to get into whole sale next and then establish a distribution center somewhere in Bucyrus where everything can be centralized.

He also is getting married to his fiance, Allison Bullock, in September who is supposed to be moving to the area soon. He said she loves ice cream and is excited to be a part of everything. 

"For right now, we're happy with the simplicity," he said of the business.