Toft Dairy: Sandusky's summertime staple

This story was featured in the July 2022 edition of Sandusky Living magazine. If you're interested in purchasing a copy, call the Register at 419-502-2130 while supplies last. For Sanduskians, several sights signal the summer season's arrival. Take boats rippling through Sandusky Bay, roller coasters zipping down hills at Cedar Point or baseball players filling the city's many diamonds. Though the best indicator for warmer days might just be a cold, sweet treat many, quite literally, scream for. By the masses, customers visit Toft Dairy's ice cream parlor — a local landmark equal parts nostalgic and quaint, complete with faux cows standing in the garden as milk trucks from yesteryear travel by them underneath a bright blue pavilion — to indulge in, unquestionably, the region's favorite after-meal snack. No matter the season, but especially in summer, people pack the place. Groups often visit the facility, on Venice Road (U.S. 6) within Sandusky's west end, following a morning church service, an afternoon school field trip or an evening barbecue with family members. It's the cherry on top of their memorable day. Regardless of the reason, customers flood and keep coming back to Toft's — and one person greatly familiar with the product believes he knows why. "It's because of our quality," said Toft's president Chuck Meisler, pointing to a sign featuring the company's slogan: "Toft's One Quality Ice Cream." Setting a supreme standard Before people enjoy, let's say, a double-scoop of cherry vanilla stacked high atop a sturdy waffle cone, each product boasting Toft's name goes through an extensive, one-of-a-kind quality assurance process. Founded in 1900, it's the main reason why Toft's can proudly call itself Ohio's oldest operating dairy. "We have contracts with farms that are within 50 miles of Sandusky, and our field reps personally go to the farms, inspect the farms, the cows and the equipment to make sure the quality stays at a high level of where we want it," Meisler said. "That's much different than the big companies." At these 14 farms — which include nearby spots, like Castalia and Fremont, and fields much farther away, such as Shiloh and Bucyrus — all cows are milked twice a day, 365 days a year. "The raw milk is then picked up and brought to our dairy here," Meisler said. At Toft's headquarters, inspectors check the milk before it gets pasteurized. In other words, it makes Toft's edible items, like ice cream and milk, safe for people to consume. For ice cream, milk and cream act as its two main ingredients. Workers also add sugar, powdering and flavoring to create unique ice cream varieties. "By doing it this way, we can make sure everything is up to our standards," Meisler said. "And people like to come and buy ice cream where it's manufactured from." Meisler credits his loyal staff for the tasty end result. "They're great," said Meisler, noting Toft's, a small business, employs about 80 full-time people year-round and a handful of seasonal workers, mostly high school and college students, who serve ice cream. "We have drivers that drive all hours of the night. We have people who work in freezers 20 below zero. We have our girls in the office that make sure all the numbers are right," Meisler said. "I am so appreciative of what every employee does for Toft's. We couldn't do anything without them. They're counted on, and they come through time and time again." Customers, in a way, also are thankful for their service. They show their gratitude by patiently waiting in long lines, taking pictures of their ice cream-covered faces as trip mementos and eagerly anticipating when they'll next visit Toft's. "That signifies we have done our job right," Meisler said. "We get inspected more than anybody in the food business. And to see the high marks we get from inspectors and to hear the many great compliments we receive from customers, that makes the entire process all worth it." By the numbers Here are some more facts and figures to best understand Toft Dairy's operation: • 2.5 million to 3 million — the number of average pounds in a month's time of milk that comes to Toft's from its contracted farms • 1,500 — the number of locations routinely served by Toft Dairy Some locations receiving products — milks, ice creams in both hard- and soft-serve varieties, custards, orange juice, lemonade, fruit drinks and more — include school districts, swimming pool facilities, youth-based entertainment centers, amusement parks, nursing homes, dairy stands, sports stadiums, arenas, supermarkets and more. • 65 — the number of school districts receiving Toft Dairy products • 60 — the number of ice cream flavors made by Toft Dairy; They're available at the parlor's dipping containers, grocery stores and ice cream stands. While it's been a few years since any new flavors have arrived on shelves, Meisler previewed what's to come. "Next spring, we want to have at least three new flavors," he said. Here to stay Toft Dairy represents one of the city's oldest, and most successful, businesses. And with the continued financial commitments made in the company and community over a time frame exceeding 120 years, Meisler can't see Toft Dairy operating anywhere else but Sandusky. "Living here and working here, I feel like it's the greatest place to live," Meisler said. "We have been in this plant (on Venice Road) since the mid-1980s, and we are making investments like we are going to be here another generation." Meisler and his cousins Denny, Ron and Dan, who are also all Meislers, represent the fourth generation of family members to own and operate Toft Dairy. Chuck's children, Logan and Morgan, and Denny's son, Josh, also all serve in key roles with Toft Dairy. They're continuing a family legacy, serving as the newest, or fifth, generation of family members working there. "We are committed to the area, and we are proud of Sandusky and the history," Meisler said. "The city has been good to work with. We like how we are treated by them. That's why we worked with them on creating part of the Sandusky Bay Pathway out front of Toft's. It's a partnership between us and them." Meisler hopes to see both familiar faces and new ones at the parlor this season. "You will never be disappointed," Meisler said about Toft's products. "You'll get a good-size serving for a very reasonable price, and it will taste great. I promise." Top Toft Dairy ice cream flavors (in no particular order) • Vanilla • Peanut butter cup • Mint chocolate chip • Butter pecan • Moose tracks • Black cherry • Cookie dough The scoop on Toft Toft Dairy boasts a flawless rating online, receiving an overwhelming amount of positive comments from happy customers. Here are just some of those rave reviews: • Lisa (Birmelin) Bogan — It's simply the best, hands down. So very proud of this establishment is in my community. • Kiel Rohrbacher — Best ice cream around. Always my top choice. • Melissa Zinn — Great prices and atmosphere. Their portions are huge, and their shakes are delicious. • Beth Kerry — Delicious and creative flavor combinations, something for everyone, huge portions, great staff. • Chris Glodde — Best ice cream. Very good value. Support a local ice cream factory. History lesson Toft Dairy provided the following statement to summarize its long and storied history in Sandusky: From a small family dairy farm in the early 1900s to a state-of-the-art, 76,000 square-foot facility on Venice Road, the legacy of Toft Dairy is a story of a commitment to quality and forward-thinking principles. It all started back in the year 1900, when Chris and Matilda Toft purchased a handsome, rural farm on South Hayes Avenue in Sandusky. On that farm, they raised a highly respected herd of purebred dairy cattle and began selling raw milk to customers in the area. After a time, they obtained a horse and wagon to haul the large cans of milk into the city of Sandusky. Their familiar milk wagon would make regular trips to the city and would stop to serve customers who brought their own family-size containers to the wagon. In those days, Chris and Matilda personally ladled out the milk to their customers directly from the large milk cans they had brought to market. At that time, Chris and Matilda probably didn't envision their small family business developing over the next 100-plus year into an enterprise as large as the current multimillion-dollar Toft Dairy. The Toft Dairy operation, as we know it today, began in 1935, when the Tofts acquired the retail operations of Sandusky's Oswald Dairy. Chris and Matilda were joined in business by their daughter, Edna, and her husband, Carl Meisler, as well as their son, John Toft, and his wife, Esther. At this location, Toft's began to pasteurize its milk. Robert Meisler, the eldest son of Carl and Edna, began delivering milk while still attending high school in 1937. The other three Meisler sons also joined the family dairy a few years later. The expanding business acquired several trucks and opened up regular wholesale and retail customer routes, which provided the vital foundation for business growth. After the adoption of delivery routes, it didn't take long for the highly respected reputation of Toft Dairy to spread throughout the region. Although business was growing, the original facilities were becoming too cumbersome and slowed development. Thus, in 1940, Toft Dairy moved its operation to a much larger facility located at 529 Adams St. in Sandusky. A few years later, they acquired other nearby properties to meet the demands of the growing enterprise. This expansion brought the capacity for a larger delivery fleet, the ability to homogenize the milk and the addition of a line of high-quality ice cream products. Eventually, a retail store with an old-time soda fountain was added at this location. During the next couple of decades, various family members retired and died and, subsequently, Carl and Edna Meisler acquired sole ownership of the company. In 1960, the adoption of plastic jugs made Toft Dairy the first area dairy to use the efficient delivery container. By 1965, the company had outgrown its facilities yet again. Toft's purchased and moved the operation to the Otto Dairy at 2434 W. Monroe St. in Sandusky. The 1960s and 1970s continued to bring growth and expansion for the Toft brand. Toft's added new products and packaging, purchased more equipment and acquired more land. Following the continued growth, Toft's built its current facility on Venice Road in 1985, which was increased in size in both 1993 and 2003. The high-tech operating facility is the home of all production for Toft Dairy products. Also on site is the famous Toft's Ice Cream Parlor, which has become a landmark for locals and tourists. The parlor showcases dozens of ice cream flavors and frozen yogurts and is a retail location for all of Toft's dairy products. In 2008, Toft's finished a complete remodel of its ice cream parlor while still using the original soda fountain and parlor seating. That year, Toft's also added the area's first win turbine that helps power the daily operations of the plant. Toft Dairy is the only locally owned and operated dairy on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo along with being the oldest operating dairy in Ohio. Milk is delivered to Toft Dairy 365 days a year from 14 local family farms, all of which are within a 50-mile radius. Contracting with local farmers allows Toft's to guarantee its customers that it uses the freshes quality of milk to make all of its delicious products. Toft's has received written pledges from these dairy farms to refrain from using the synthetic growth hormone rBST in its production of milk shipped to the plant. Toft's distributes its dairy and ice cream products to customers within an approximate 100-mile radius. Its customers include schools, hospitals, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, universities, ballparks, festivals, amusement parks and many other retail outlets. Among those customers is Cedar Point. Toft's has been a proud partner of Cedar Point since 1986. Toft's has become locally famous for its "One Quality" philosophy, which means Toft's uses only the finest ingredients to produce the highest quality products. Toft Dairy is still family-owned and operated by the fourth- and fifth generations of Chris and Matilda Toft. We believe they would be proud of the quality products and service provided by the family business they founded. It is a proud heritage.