Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
From a single-car garage to a neighborhood institution
The building it is housed in at 55 Bellbrook Plaza started as a single-car garage located behind a house on West Franklin Street.
That changed when the Bellbrook Village Plaza was built.
The Hummels are the third Bellbrook family to own the Dairy Shed. She recalled seeing that it was for sale in a classified ad in the Dayton Daily News.
“We had been in Bellbrook for about two years and just looked into it and purchased it,” Hummel said.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Hummel is originally from Northern Kentucky. She went to Eastern Kentucky University to study parks and recreation where she also took business classes.
Owning a business wasn’t unusual for Hummel, who comes from a family that owns multiple businesses. She married her college sweetheart and moved to Bellbrook in 2003.
What to expect
Since purchasing the Dairy Shed, they’ve kept much the same.
“I like how it hasn’t changed,” said Business Manager Eva Koesters, who graduated from Bellbrook High School in 2025. “I think that’s fun to come back to something that’s stayed the same.”
Customers can expect vanilla, chocolate and swirl soft serve, eight to nine flavors of Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream, shakes, floats, slushies, sundaes, flurries, food and more. The ice cream shop also rotates between a selection of Dole Whip and yogurt.
Favorites include the brownie sundae and slush floats, featuring vanilla soft serve that can be mixed or not mixed.
Supporting the local community
Throughout the year, the Dairy Shed features unique creations such as the thin mint flurry using cookies from a local Girl Scout troop.
They’ve also partnered with Bellbrook Middle School teacher, Debi Schwieterman, for an ice cream design contest.
Hummel’s favorite part of owning the Dairy Shed is giving local youth a job. She said they are very flexible with their employees when it comes to school, family schedules and extra curricular activities.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“It’s just a fun job. Everyone you work with is old friends and it’s something I enjoy coming to,” Koesters said. “I love interacting with the customers. You have your regulars that come through and it’s always good to see them.”
Hummel currently employs 34 people including some of her own children.
“We have all grown up here over the years. I was probably three when we bought this place,” said Hummel’s daughter, Julia, who is a manager and 2021 Bellbrook High School graduate. “In high school, a lot of my friends worked here too.”
A generational tradition
The Dairy Shed is a generational tradition where students walk to every Friday after school or the first place they go when they get their driver’s license.
“The neighbors are seeing neighbors and friends are seeing friends,” Hummel said. “Every time you come down, you see someone that you know.”
“We’re proud to be here,” Julia said. “Proud that we have a community that supports us.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
MORE DETAILS
In honor of the ice cream shop’s 50th anniversary, the Dairy Shed was gifted a giant ice cream cone by Council Member Brady Harding. Guests are more than welcome to take photos with it.
They also had a local girl scout troop paint a mural on the side of the building to celebrate the milestone.
The Dairy Shed is a seasonal ice cream shop typically open the first weekend in March through the end of September. They also do a pop-up for about four weeks during the holiday season.
The ice cream shop is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit bellbrookdairyshed.com or the ice cream shop’s Facebook page.
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