For the past several years, Wes Bechtel has been experimenting with making ice cream at home while earning an MBA and working a corporate job. He and wife Kristen often talked of starting a food-related business that would allow their creative sides to shine.

As the Bechtels thought more and more about opening a business, they discovered that Boombalatti’s, a fixture on the Wilmington ice cream scene for the past 15 years, was for sale.

“The purchase of an established business just made sense for us,” said Wes Bechtel.

The sale of the business, which included recipes and production methods, took place on June 8. Previous owners, the Mandeval family, spent much of last week helping the Bechtels get situated.

“It’s been a really exciting first week and we’re very thankful to the Mandevals for helping us get a handle on things,” said Bechtel. “It’s made for a great transition.”

Michelle Mandeval says that after 15 years of running the business, located at 1127 Military Cutoff in The Forum, she and her family are looking to pursue other interests.

“There’s an emotional attachment to the business,” said Mandeval. “But Wes and Kristen are great people and I know Boombalatti’s is in good hands.”

Bechtel says many of the flavors will remain the same for the time being and he hopes to have more time this fall to experiment with new additions to the menu, even trying out some vegan options. Some of Boombalatti’s current best sellers are chocolate cream pie, cinnamon caramel oatmeal cookie and chocolate fudge brownie.

The Bechtels also have plans for some interior updates during the off season.

“We know we’ve got a great product and right now our focus is on great customer service,” said Bechtel.

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