Heisler’s is now open for the season and for the first time in more than a century, a new family is in charge at the Schuylkill County destination.
Back in February, Shartlesville couple Dwight and Kathi Zimmerman purchased the dairy bar business and going into their first summer season at the helm, they feel the weight of taking over a truly iconic local brand.
“This is not just a business. This is memories. This is a generational thing,” Dwight tells Coal Region Canary on the first official day open to the public last week. “It’s my responsibilty to see it to the next generation.”
And while the Zimmermans understand that Schuylkill County customers who’ve been flocking to Heisler’s for decades come to expect a certain experience there, they also want to leave their mark and make the business their own.
“We definitely felt the weight of what we had to carry forward and to be true to who Heisler’s is at the same time,” Dwight adds. “We’re going to do it in a way that honors the past but at the same time, moves it forward.”
He says he and his wife plan to preserve the things at Heisler’s that keep bringing people back year after year but at the same time, implement changes that make the business fresh and relevant to new generations.
The Heisler’s Connection
Though they’re new to the Heisler’s brand as owners, the Zimmermans are not unfamiliar with its product. In fact, when they purchased another legacy brand, Pretzel Hut, near Lititz, a few years ago, Dwight says he knew for certain that he wanted to serve Heisler’s ice cream at the shop.
He says a hardware store, of all places, near their home in Shartlesville actually sells Heisler’s ice cream. But when he tried to arrange to have the ice cream sent to Pretzel Hut to serve it there, logistical issues got in the way.
So, Dwight says he arranged to have the ice cream he knew he had to serve at Pretzel Hut delivered to a freezer in a shed at his home and then he’d take it to their new business.
It was that determination and connection to the product that eventually led to the Zimmermans coming to be the new owners of the landmark in the Lewistown Valley here.
What’s New at Heisler’s
The fist thing many might notice when they visit Heisler’s for the first time since the Zimmermans took over is its name. Previously, it operated under brand names like Heisler’s Cloverleaf Dair and Heisler’s Dairy Bar. Now, it simply known as Heisler’s Creamery.
There are a number of other look-and-feel changes to the area at Heisler’s. For starters, the landscaping has been refreshed. The Zimmermans have added a play area that’s available to smaller children at no cost.
Guests who feel like the one thing will help them beat the heat on a hot summer day is Heisler’s will now find more shaded seating at the Zimmermans’ new business. Umbrella-covered picnic benches and large sun shades cover seating areas there.
Some bigger changes at Heisler’s include transforming the gift shop into a remote Pretzel Hut location, where the Zimmermans plan to serve their handmade soft pretzels. Soft-serve ice cream is now also on the menu in addition to the popular hard ice cream.
And on the hot food menu, Dwight says they’ll now be serving smash burgers as well as unlimited fresh-cut fries cooked in avocado oil.
During the colder months, closer to Christmas, he says there are plans to decorate for the holidays and have heated seating areas, including in the shuttered arcade building.
“We’re hoping that folks who are disappointed with some of the change will appreciate some of the positive changes,” he says.
There is one thing that Dwight says he’s seen in abundance from people reacting to the change in ownership at Heisler’s and that’s questions about the once-very popular Waffle House. It’s been closed for years but, even though it’s in the early planning stages, he says there are plans to reopen it eventually. He adds that he and his wife have to grow the business as it is first.
What’s Staying the Same
One thing that’s definitely not changing under the new ownership at Heisler’s is that hard ice cream.
“We’re not going to mess with their ice cream recipe. It is fantastic ice cream,” Dwight says.
The hard ice cream will continue to be made on site, he says, and there are plans to expand its presence in more retail locations for folks who can’t always get out to the dairy bar to enjoy it.
Heisler’s popular beef barbecue will still be on the hot food menu, too.
The dual mini golf courses are also staying as well as the driving range.
Open for the Season
Heisler’s is operating with limited hours at the start of the summer season. For a few weeks, guests can enjoy the dairy bar on Thursdays, from 4-8:30 p.m., on Fridays from 4-9 p.m., on Saturdays, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
As schools let out for the summer break and more staffing is available, hours will expand to seven days a week, Dwight says.
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