About Tom's Ice Cream Bowl
‟At Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl we only serve the freshest old fashioned foods. ”
Some history of Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl, and Ice Cream in Zanesville
The history of Ice Cream in Zanesville has two parts. Both will be covered in this article, and since this is Tom’s, let’s start there.
In 1948, Jack Hemmer and Tom Mirgon, two first cousins, opened an ice cream store on Linden Avenue with very few tables and very little counter space. Both had worked together at the Hemmer Ice Cream Company at about the age of 12, where they both made formed Ice Cream novelties. They called this new little store Jack Hemmer Ice Cream, as Tom suggested that Jack could name it after himself and thus take advantage of his Hemmer name. Jack would work the business, and Tom would help out where ever he was needed. He was also the financial side of the partnership.
Within two years they had profited from an abundance of business and they outgrew the Linden Avenue location. As a result they acquired property at 532 McIntire Ave., they razed the duplex that was on the property, and built the building that Tom‘s is still currently located in today.
In 1953, Jack decided to leave Zanesville and move to Florida. It was then that Tom had to make a decision - he either had to lose part of his investment or leave the Pure Oil Company service station on Putnam Avenue, where he had attained the title of general manager, and work to make Tom’s what he knew that it could be. We think he made the right choice!
In 1957 Tom thought he might run into some legal troubles - his name was not Hemmer and the business was still called Jack Hemmer’s. Borden had bought out the Hemmer ice cream company name and thus owned the Hemmer name. So it was at that time he decided to change the name to what it is today - Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl.
Tom ran the store from 1953 to 1984. He established a specific look for the employees, as well as uniformity of servings and food preparation. He established a benchmark of quality, service, and cleanliness, as well as making the best ice cream around. He had several managers helping at different times, including Jim Nessline, Dick Dooley, Jim Rognon, and Bill Sullivan.
Bill Sullivan was first hired in 1968, when he was 18 and a senior at Bishop Rosecrans high school. He worked there until about 1970, at which point he was drafted to serve in the United States Army in Vietnam. After being discharged, while taking some college courses, he came back to Tom‘s as a substitute for several months whenever Tom needed him. He then left again after gaining other employment.
In February 1977 Joe Baker, age 16 and a sophomore at Bishop Rosecrans high school, was hired by Tom. He started as a dishwasher and was promoted rapidly to clerk within a few months. Within the next 15 months he had been granted several raises and was running shifts while still in high school.
In late 1978, Tom’s manager at the time decided to find other employment, and Tom was close to wanting to retire. He then called Bill Sullivan and hired him back as manager and also to eventually take over the business, and own the store himself. Bill came back in January 1979. At that time, Joe Baker was made assistant manager and Bill and Joe ran the business for Tom until Tom retired in 1984. Bill would run one shift, Joe would run the other.
In 1984 Bill purchased Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl and became owner, and Joe Baker became general manager. They did not have an assistant manager as they were a working owner, and a working manager. Bill still ran a shift every day, and Joe the other. Ice cream was made by both Bill and Joe.
Joe, however, took over more and more of the ice cream production to allow Bill freedom to keep up on the business end of things. And besides, he really liked to make ice cream and showed an aptitude and a certain proficiency for it.
Bill and Joe continued to run Tom‘s for the next 35 years. This made them the longest running employees of Tom’s. Also, Bill had allowed Joe to freely expand the amount of flavors of ice cream that were made, and experiment on a number of new flavors . The number of flavors served at Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl more than doubled during that time.
In 2019 Bill decided to retire and Joe purchased Tom‘s and became owner in November of that year. It is Joe‘s intention to keep Tom‘s legacy alive and to continue to make it a destination for all who love ice cream, good service, good food, and delicious candy and nuts, as well as an actual 50s diner experience. He is now the longest running employee at 48 years, has made more flavors than anyone who has ever worked at Tom’s, as well as more ice cream than anyone ever working in the store. At the time of this article, Joe has made over 872,000 gallons. He has actually made more ice cream than everyone who has ever worked at Tom’s combined.
Since Joe has been owner he has added a patio, a party house next-door, a parking lot, remodeled the kitchen and back room, replaced the entire floor in the building, added glass block windows to keep with the 50s look, expanded the menu, and also introduced comfort food to the menu from September to Easter. And more good things hopefully to come.
Now let’s talk About the other part of Zanesville ice cream history.
In 1887, F E Hemmer established the Hemmer Ice Cream Company featuring Hemmer Quality Ice Cream. As it grew, It was located in a few different places in downtown Zanesville. After the flood in 1913, F E erected an ice cream factory on N. 6th St., which can also be remembered as the location of the original Pepsi building. They made 30 times the amount of ice cream that Tom’s makes. They were the largest ice cream manufacturing facility in Southeastern Ohio and the second largest in the state. The country club, most pharmacies, grocery stores, even the little league, carried and sold Hemmer Ice Cream. It was sold all over Southeastern Ohio and even at times, put on barges in ammonia freezers, and shipped down the Muskingum river to the Ohio river, then down to the Mississippi, and into New Orleans. That’s right, Zanesville Hemmer ice cream was sold in New Orleans.
The two cousins, Jack Hemmer and Tom Mirgon were hired for their first jobs at Hemmer Ice Cream Company, as Jack was the grandson of the owner, F E Hemmer. F E Hemmer had five sons, four who worked in the business with him and one was called back in 1935, when the last known vice president of the company had passed, which was Charles Hemmer. F E remained the president until he passed in 1940 and the brother who came back sold the business to Borden, and Borden dissolved it. That is when Jack and Tom got the idea that they could buy ice cream mix and create their own product.
What you may not know is that Joe Baker, current owner, is actually the great grandson of FE Hemmer. He is the grandson of Charles Hemmer, and the son of Maryann Hemmer. He also has made more local ice cream for the people of Zanesville than anyone since his own grandfather, Charles. Now you know… The rest of the story!
