The grand opening of The Car Hop Ice Cream Shop at 2007 Doubleday Ave. in the Village of Ballston Spa will take place June 7 at 6 p.m. Owner Mike Klein will officially cut the ribbon on his new business, accompanied by Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano, as well as members of the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, family and many friends, along with a strong showing from the Kustom Kulture car and bike community Klein has supported over the years.

The Doubleday Avenue plaza, home to an ice cream stand, an eat-in restaurant and a Dunkin Donuts for years, has been undergoing a facelift during the past few months as Klein has taken over two storefronts and added his own flair for cars, bikes and Kustom Kulture. His aim was to bring this great little family stop back to life.

What makes the The Car Hop Ice Cream Shop different from most eateries? The artwork on the outside of the building shows vehicles strategically placed and hand-painted. All artwork is by internationally acclaimed Kulture artist, Doug Hoch. Hoch's artwork will draw many automobile and art aficionados to the business who would like to see firsthand what the artist has created specifically for The Car Hop Ice Cream Shop.

During the summer months, Klein will offer the finest of handcrafted foods, and will also be a destination for the car and bike worlds, designating different nights for the enthusiasts to fire up their engines and head on over. Monday is car night, and Tuesday is bike night, both from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. He assures everyone parking will not be an issue.

The Car Hop Ice Cream Shop will be expanding by fall and will be moving into a larger ’year-round space, currently housing the newest of Upstate Cellular stores Klein owns. He will scale down Upstate Cellular a bit to accommodate the ice cream shop’s move. The extra interior space will be dedicated to offering the same fine made-to-order specialties in a dining environment with hundreds of culture art items to view. The current Car Hop will be altered to a new and exciting concept in 2014.

The Car Hop menu features many items not traditionally found in similar restaurants, such as: Nathan's Hot Dogs, fresh hamburger and steak, Black and Tan onion rings, custom-made and named sandwiches, fried Oreos, bacon sundaes, premium soft serve, Perry's ice cream and many homemade items made fresh daily. Customers can order from the core menu board, and also select among new ideas and daily specials.

Klein is excited to say that his manager of The Car Hop Ice Cream Shop is the famous Lovey Lee. She is most remembered as a local morning disc jockey with humor and personality that got many commuters to work on time and in a great mood, Klein said. Lee is critical in formulating daily specials, having been in the restaurant business for 25 years. With a flair and a passion for food preparation, she is always on a daily mission to add something a little different to the menu. An ice cream shop offering shepherd's pie as a special is unheard of. But not here. Lee found a day when the weather was not working in their favor--a little too wet and damp for a traditional lunch. So she quickly put together homemade shepherd's pie, saving the day and warming all who enjoyed the special.

The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Visit the Car Hop Ice Cream Shop Facebook page to check hours and specials.

--Jennie