The Cone opened on April 4th, at 12 PM, but uniquely, unlike any other seasonal opening of the local ice cream shop, there are new owners: Mike and Beth Heydt. 

Before ever founding The Cone, Ken and Louella Wren entered the ice cream business and started K&W Creamy Whip in Lockland in 1973. The Wrens along with their son Keith, made their move to West Chester in 1995 and founded The Cone. In 2021 Ken passed away and left ownership of The Cone to his son Keith.

In September 2024, the Wren family announced that they would be retiring and that The Cone would go up for sale.

“The Wrens are grateful to have passed it on to a family who will continue its legacy with the same passion and dedication,” wrote Keith on The Cone’s website.

The Cone is not the only business the Heydts own, and their additional establishment helped inspire the purchase of the local ice cream shop.

“Beth and I are franchise owners of Chicken Salad Chick in Mason, Ohio, so we’ve just had an entrepreneurial spirit,“ Mike Heydt told Spark.

Chicken Salad Chick is a national fast-casual chicken salad chain, specializing in fresh made-from-scratch chicken salads.

“It was started by a single mom in Auburn, Alabama, and now there are over 290 locations throughout the United States,” said Mike.

They met her before bringing Chicken Salad Chick to Mason in October 2019. Despite the challenges from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, they managed to keep their business thriving by utilizing drive-throughs and neighborhood deliveries.

The Heydts always wanted to open an ice cream business to add alongside Chicken Salad Chick, and when The Cone went up for sale, they saw it as a great opportunity. 

“We talked about wanting an ice cream business; it’s seasonal and fun, and family friendly,” Beth told Spark. 

After applying to buy The Cone, the Heydts were uncertain whether or not the Wrens would actually consider them. 

“When [Keith Wren] reached out and said, ‘I’m going to put you on my VIP List, because you own a restaurant, and I like that quality in you, we were like, “oh my goodness,” said Beth.

Keith wanted to sell the store and one mobile unit, keeping one mobile unit for himself.

“When we met with him, his desire to get fully out of the business wasn’t there,” said Beth.

However, this aligned with their plans, making the transition easier.

“We almost thought that taking over two mobiles and the store all at once would be overwhelming. [With Keith wanting to keep one] he would be there right alongside us to help us with anything, to mentor us, to train us,” said Mike.

The Heydts have an emphasized intention of maintaining the legacy and history of The Cone.

“Here’s such an amazing legacy and history of 30 years that the Wren family has developed and grown right there on Tylersville Road in West Chester,” said Beth.

They are refreshing the exterior of the building with new paint in the parking spots and menu boards. Despite this, customers will still be able to order their favorites, such as the community staple orange and vanilla swirl, as the Heydts have committed themselves to maintaining the legacy left behind by the Wrens.

“The community should really expect they’re going to see and get to order what they’ve been ordering for the last 30 years,” said Mike.

The Heydts hope to carry out the tradition of delicious dessert with an outstanding team.

“We just want it to look just like it has looked with all the great quality food and great members and employees,” said Mike.

Around 20 employees are returning from the last season, the Heydts are taking this as an indication they enjoy being at The Cone.

“They enjoy making people happy by serving a fun, yummy product,” said Mike.

The Heydt’s are committed to the foundation of community involvement, including donations to local churches, schools, and other similar organizations. 

“I think the opportunities are endless to just keep partnering to give back and support,” said Beth.

In the past, they have partnered with a local church by using gift cards, where they will take a portion of the sales to help pay for their mission trips.

“We just want to keep [helping people] and do more of it when those opportunities present themselves,” said Mike.