After More Than 24 Years, University Heights Ben & Jerry’s Says Goodbye to a Community That Grew Up Around It
Published: Oct 17, 2026 - 8:41 a.m.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — For more than two decades, the Ben & Jerry's at Fairmount Circle has been one of those familiar neighborhood places where people stopped for ice cream and, somewhere along the way, made memories that stayed with them for years. Parents brought their children, John Carroll University students wandered over from campus, families gathered after dinner, and birthdays were celebrated with sundaes large enough to become stories of their own. Now, after more than 24 years of documented history at 20650 John Carroll Blvd., the locally operated franchise has announced it is closing. "It is with a heavy heart that we close this Ben & Jerry's franchise in University Heights," read the announcement signed by Haley. "Thank you for all the years you let us serve you. It's been an amazing experience with a lot of amazing people!" The message ended with a familiar expression of the company's personality. "Peace, Love & Ice Cream." For a neighborhood that has spent decades making memories there, the farewell marks the end of a particularly sweet chapter. Municipal records reviewed by Cleveland 13 News establish Ben & Jerry's presence at Fairmount Circle as far back as May 8, 2002, when an outdoor dining permit was originally approved for the business. The permit was referenced again in a September 2024 University Heights Board of Zoning Appeals record. The storefront sits among other longtime neighborhood businesses, including Pizzazz on the Circle, Dave's Cosmic Subs and Boaz Fresh Lebanese, in a commercial area that has served generations of University Heights and Shaker Heights residents. The property is owned by The 1886 Company Ltd., a subsidiary of John Carroll University, whose campus has helped shape the identity of the surrounding neighborhood for more than a century. Ben & Jerry's became part of that university experience, appearing in the dining and student life section of John Carroll's official campus map. Its relationship with the university extended beyond proximity. In October 2010, the ice cream shop was among the businesses supporting John Carroll's Blue Gold Community Day, a celebration surrounding a Blue Streaks football game against Wilmington College. The event brought together students, alumni, families and neighborhood residents for music, activities and an afternoon centered on community. Over the years, the shop became a familiar gathering place for people whose connection to John Carroll or the surrounding neighborhoods began long before they ever stepped inside for ice cream. The University Heights location offered the familiar Ben & Jerry's assortment of ice cream, shakes, cakes and specialty sundaes, along with catering for birthdays, workplace celebrations, weddings and other gatherings. Its place in the community, however, was built on considerably more than the menu. There were birthday parties featuring the famous Vermonster, the enormous sundae meant for sharing, with photographs of celebrations finding their way onto the shop's walls. There were evening walks that ended with ice cream, family outings that became traditions, and even a marriage proposal that made the shop part of one couple's story forever. For some, Ben & Jerry's was a childhood destination. Years later, it became somewhere to bring their own children. The business also participated in the company's annual Free Cone Day tradition. As recently as April 14, 2026, the University Heights shop joined other Northeast Ohio locations in offering complimentary scoops, according to Axios Cleveland. Those occasions brought people together in a way that neighborhood businesses often do, offering a little more than what was being sold across the counter. The shop also gave employees opportunities to learn, grow and build relationships. Former workers remember the kindness of Haley and Jim, the friendships formed during their time there, and the lessons that stayed with them long after their shifts ended. For a business that served generations of customers, its impact reached both sides of the counter. Former University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan also offered his appreciation following the announcement, thanking the shop for its years as part of the city's food scene and expressing how much it would be missed. His sentiment reflects the attachment many residents have developed to the businesses that help give a community its character. The closing comes as the area surrounding John Carroll University enters another period of development. Across John Carroll Boulevard, the university's Gateway North project is bringing new retail space, a planned Trader Joe's grocery store and student housing expected to open in fall 2027. Fairmount Circle has experienced many changes over the decades, with businesses arriving, generations of students graduating and families watching the neighborhood evolve around them. Through much of that history, Ben & Jerry's has remained a familiar stop. Twenty-four years is enough time for a child celebrating a birthday to become a parent planning one. It is enough time for college students to graduate, move away and return to find pieces of their younger lives still standing. It is enough time for thousands of seemingly ordinary visits to become part of a community's collective memory. Those memories are what make the closing of a neighborhood institution feel different from the closing of an ordinary store. The announcement was brief, personal and heartfelt, thanking the people who made the business what it was. "We will miss being a sweet part in your lives," Haley wrote. For the families who celebrated milestones there, the employees who found their footing in the working world, and the countless neighbors who made the shop part of their routines, that sentiment goes both ways. The ice cream may have been what brought people through the doors, yet the experiences surrounding it became something much bigger. There are birthday photographs, stories from first jobs, family walks, friendships and moments that will forever belong to the people who shared them. After more than 24 years, University Heights is saying goodbye to a familiar part of Fairmount Circle. The scoops will eventually be gone. The memories will remain. Do you have photographs or memories of the University Heights Ben & Jerry's? Cleveland 13 News welcomes residents, former employees and John Carroll alumni to share their stories as the community remembers this longtime neighborhood favorite. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.
Comments