Ice cream entrepreneur shares knowledge with students

A new ice cream and french fry shop called Sweetie Fry is slated to open in Cleveland Heights this summer, and owner Keith Logan will give local high school students a firsthand look at what it’s like to start a business.

Logan will lead the Entrepreneurs Club, a group of students from Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Beaumont high schools, in twice monthly meetings until Sweetie Fry opens in mid-July. He plans to show club members how a retail business is established, from the business plan through the financing, construction, and product development stages. Students who are curious to learn about business will directly experience the creation of one.

Students in the club will see Logan’s business evolve from an empty building to a gourmet ice cream shop, complete with a kitchen where he will make menu items from scratch.

“It started with the idea of an artisanal ice cream shop. I’ve been told that people love to eat milk shakes with fries, so it seemed like a great combination for a business,” Logan said. “I thought it would be an opportunity to show kids what it’s like to start a company, and I love this town, so if there’s something I can do to enrich the community, I am happy to do it.”

His most important lesson for the Entrepreneurs Club will be drawn from the challenges he’s faced along the way. “Everybody told me my problem was going to be getting financing, but I got it right away from Key and Huntington banks. My crisis was different--it took months to find a suitable location.”

Logan plans to invite other local business owners to meet with the kids and share their ideas. He credits the support and guidance of the Heights business community with making his venture possible. 

Logan, who has lived in Cleveland Heights for 46 years, says this is his first time working with children, though he raised three daughters, served as a camp counselor and spent some time at the nonprofit organization Junior Achievement. He started out as an entrepreneur and spent 10 years working for Nordson Corp. in global marketing and business development.

Although he will be providing an educational experience for the students, Logan also sees his venture as a learning experience for himself. “Making ice cream is something of a craft," he said. "It’s something you can still be learning about 10 years later.”