Owners of Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream selling business

Elizabeth Pattman   | Times-News

After nearly two decades in business, Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream is for sale. The owners are hoping to find a buyer interested in carrying on the business’ legacy in the community.

Alamance County Superior Court Judge Tom Lambeth and Amy Nakhle, the sister of Lambeth’s late wife Susan, co-founded Smitty’s in 2002, opening their first store on South Church Street in Burlington. In 2012, Smitty’s moved to the Elon site inside Pandora’s Pies on Williamson Avenue. They later opened a second location on North Main Street in Graham and, in 2017, opened a third location in downtown Burlington on Front Street.

Nakhle and Lambeth said they decided to sell when they realized they did not have as much time available to dedicate to the business anymore. When Lambeth became a judge 13 years ago, he said his time commitment to Smitty’s was already cut down.

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Nakhle has been running the day-to-day operations ever since, but due to upcoming family commitments, she no longer has as much time as she’d like to dedicate to the business.

“Smitty’s is big. It’s a big company. We’ve grown from one store to three and then coupled with the amount of events and catering and wholesale that we do as well, it really is too much for me to be able to do,” she said. “I think we can kind of feel that the writing is on the wall and its time to hopefully hand the reins over to someone else, someone who will have flexibility and drive and desire to want to continue to be part of the fabric of the community here in Alamance County the way we have for all these years.”

Like most other small businesses in the area, Nakhle noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had some impact on their decision as well.

“It’s been a particularly difficult year all the way around for all small business and Smitty’s has been no exception,” she said.

Nakhle and Lambeth are looking for dedicated new owners who want to jump in and carry on the legacy Smitty’s has in Alamance County.

“I think what the ideal situation for a buyer for Smitty’s is two people,” Lambeth said. “I think it’s an ideal situation for a young couple or two young friends.”

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In addition to someone willing to carry on the business, Lambeth and Nakhle said they’re looking for a buyer who will keep up their commitments to the community.

“It’s been a great relationship with the folks of Alamance County,” Lambeth explained. “From the very first day, we have been active in giving back to the community. We do fundraisers for various community organizations and we’ve done that our whole existence. I think the community has appreciated the local aspect of Smitty’s and the top quality product.”

Local owners are encouraged, but not required.

“We would be absolutely thrilled if somebody local wanted to pick up the reins and continue forward because they’ve been around, they’ve known us, they’ve grown up with us, they understand the heart of the business and therefore really do buy into the whole mission of Smitty’s,” Nakhle said.

“At the same time, we also know that Alamance County is a really wonderful place to live and it would be quite an opportunity for someone from the outside to come in and establish roots in a beautiful place,” she added.

Nakhle said she believes this is the perfect time to buy before the spring season comes back around and the business blossoms once again.

“Ice cream is a seasonal business. Right now, things have slowed down to where it would be a much easier prospect for someone to come in now and sort of get their feet wet,” she said. “This is the ideal time, we feel, for someone to come in and get a good hold and a good feel for the business and steer it in the direction they want to.”

She is also willing to stay on the team for some time to help the new owners learn the ropes, learn the recipes and get a handle on their new venture, she said.

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“We have, I think, the best product around. I think our ice cream is the very best ice cream around,” Lambeth said. “I think it’s an ideal business for somebody to jump into and really enjoy the fruits of our labor, especially Amy’s labors. … It’s an ideal situation for somebody to step into and take it to the next level.”

All three locations are upfitted and the classic Smitty’s recipes will be passed on to the owner, making for a smooth transition, Nakhle and Lambeth said.

“The sky is the limit as Tom said,” Nakhle said. “They can really make it whatever they want to make it into. We think it’s pretty special product, a pretty special business and it has a lot to offer.

“It’s really a creative person’s paradise,” she added.

While only a small group of individuals have learned of the sale thus far, Nakhle said the response has been a mix of sadness and hope for the future.

“There’s a little bit of a mourning happening,” Nakhle joked. “A lot of appreciation has been coming about as well … and I think a lot of hope as well. They really are holding out hope that Smitty’s will continue to be a part of this community and of their lives for years to come.”

A few talks with potential buyers have begun, Lambeth and Nakhle said, but no deals have been made.

“We decided we’ve had a really, really wonderful 18-year run in Alamance County,” Nakhle said. “It’s been really one of the most fantastic things I’ve done in my life and I’ve been very grateful to have.”

“(The sale will) be a win for Smitty’s and a win for the community,” she added.