By Jessica Schultz
There are local places that have been around for a very long time and it’s always sad when they sit empty. If you head out of Ellicottville, towards the lovely Ellicottville Distillery out to West Valley or Arcade, you always pass the Ashford Junction Depot (located at 5364 NY 242, Ellicottville NY) and remember the little café that did an awesome breakfast. It’s been missed. But thankfully, someone is breathing new life into the business. The Ashford Junction Depot is re-open under new management and is beating the summer heat with Hershey’s ice cream cones, bowls and milkshakes. The Villager had a chance to speak with one of the new owners, Melanie Korzeniewski about how the Depot came to them and where they are planning to take it in the future.
The Villager (V): How did you come to own the depot and what inspired its current direction?
Melanie (M): “Last year we began looking for a building to open our own business. Both of us have always wanted to own our own business and we felt the time was right. We started the ice cream truck last July and thought the area could use another ice cream place, shop and restaurant. The shop items are inspired by promoting small businesses to include local artisans.”
V: You have ice cream now, are you planning on expanding that menu?
M: “Yes. We currently have ice cream to include hard and soft serve, novelties, slushies and milkshakes. We will soon be serving hot and cold coffee and tea drinks. The shop will also have local artisan’s goods to include shirts, cups, lotion bars, candles, dresses, hats, gloves, reusable paper towels and more. We will also have a station for refilling safe cleaning products. In the near future we will be adding baked goods to include cakes that can be customized. Our next big step is to offer pizza and fried appetizers in the evenings. Then once the dining area is renovated fully, we will open for breakfast!
V: Will you be open in the winter months as well? Is the ice cream going to be year-round?
M: “We plan to continue our hours Thursday to Monday with ice cream as well as the other items we will be offering year-round. We want Ashford Junction Depot to be a local family-oriented restaurant and shop to come to year-round.”
V: Looking forward, what are plans for the future? Where do you want the business to be for 2023?
M: “In 2023 we hope to continue to expand our menu and retail to help fit what residents are looking for in a restaurant and shop. We will continue to renovate to bring back the charm and history of the building. “
V: What are your current open days and hours?
M: “We are open Thursday and Friday 4-9, Saturday and Sunday 1-9 and Mondays 4-9.”
V: Anything else you would like to add?
M: “We love the history of the building and the area. We hope to bring the history to light and tell more about the building and area to all that come in. Stop by to grab a sweet treat or just to see what we have done with building so far.”
Thank you, Melanie, for taking the time to speak with us and thank you to the whole Ashford Junction Depot team for bringing back a local favorite. Can’t wait to see where it heads in the future and really looking forward to the return of the breakfast menu!!