Widow to bring ice cream franchise to Hendersonville and continue husband's 'dream'
Hendersonville’s Paul and Nicole Fedorchek had a dream to own and operate an ice cream franchise together.
They chose a brand that was central to their memories together, but not well-known in Middle Tennessee.
Shortly after the couple secured the financing in August 2021 that would allow them to move forward with opening a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream on Anderson Lane North, Paul Fedorchek died from an illness related to COVID-19.
He was 49.
The franchise was popular with the couple when they lived in Orange County, California before moving to Hendersonville in June 2020.
Despite her husband's death, Nicole Fedorchek, 50, pressed on with the dream and a 1,450 square foot building is under construction with hopes to open in late October.
“I never considered not completing the project,” she said. “It just felt right. We had already invested so much time (and money) into it, and Paul would have wanted me to continue living the dream.”
Fedorchek is a realtor and the plan was for Paul Fedorchek to run the day-to-day operations as the manager. The couple “was a huge fan of the brand,” and researched the company, Fedorchek said.
Two onsite managers have been hired and Nicole Fedorchek will work more on marketing and community relations for Bruster’s in addition to real estate. The couple's daughter Allison, a student at Belmont University, will also assist with social media and on community events.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is based in Pennsylvania with around 200 locations in 22 states. There is a location on Concord Road in Brentwood.
The Hendersonville location will be near Zaxby’s and Lowe’s. The restaurant will have walk-up windows, drive-thru and outdoor seating area. It will be open year-round. Construction started in March.
Fedorchek expects up to 25-30 employees during the peak season hopes to be business that draws teenage workers.
She also plans to establish a scholarship in her husband's memory to support a teenage worker's higher education.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Widow to bring new ice cream franchise to Hendersonville to continue 'dream'
