By Jessica Schultz
It’s been pretty hot outside. This weather has most of us scrambling for the air conditioner or the pool or the garden hose. We need to beat the heat. Well, Group Ther-Happy, located at 103 Chautauqua Avenue in Lakewood, NY has just the thing. Not only do they have a menu with craft pizzas and tasty shareables like a huge Bavarian pretzel with beef cheese, but they now have partnered with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream out of Pittsburgh, PA to offer a tasty treat to beat the heat. The Villager had the opportunity to speak with one of the owners, Michelle Turner, about how the partnership happened and what they are offering.
The Villager (V): How did the partnership with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream come to be?
Michelle (M): “Since we opened in 2018, I have always had offering ice cream in mind especially having our ideal location within the Village of Lakewood and close to the Hartley Park. When I learned about Millie’s, we took a ride to Pittsburgh to see first-hand what they were all about. I can’t say enough about the owners Chad and Lauren Townsend and their operation. We toured their facilities, tasted their product and the rest is history! We immediately hit it off, so we were all excited to introduce Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream and bring it to Chautauqua County.”
V: You’re offering how many flavors and what kinds?
M: “We are offering 8 flavors of hard ice cream and we foresee the obvious staples on hand every day such as chocolate and vanilla with specialty flavors changing weekly.”
V: You will have the ice cream cart available during your normal business hours; any plans to expand on that?
M: “We have named the cart “Chill Session” and will be serving ice-cream during our new summer hours Wednesday through Sunday 11am until the kitchen closes at 9pm.”
V: Do you have more partnerships in mind for Group Ther-Happy in the future?
M: “We have grown a lot over the last four and a half years and are continuing to reinvest and improve the experience for all of our customers. Both our front and back of the house employees along with our customers are the absolute best and the core of our continued success.”
V: Anything else you would like to add?
M: “A great time to come out and try our “Chill Session” selections would be this upcoming weekend. We’ve got great concerts on the 3rd and the 4th. 50 Miles to Empty will be playing on July 3rd from 2-5pm and then Sean Patrick McGraw will be playing from 6-9pm. We are open on July 4th noon until closing and will be offering an all-American cookout on the patio from 12 noon- 9pm in place of our regular menu in honor of the holiday. James Calavitta will be on stage from 3-5pm, followed by Dam Near Famous from 6-9pm. Ending just before Lakewood’s fireworks display.”
Thank you, Michelle, for taking the time tot speak with us about this new addition to Group Ther-Happy. Sounds like a tasty reason to visit!! You can find more information about events and happenings at Group Ther-Happy by visiting their Facebook page, emailing grouptherhappy@gmail.com or by calling 716-526-1067.