ANGOLA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Fourth of July, a perfect day to celebrate freedom across the Western New York region!
From spending the day on the water, cookouts and parades, or even just grabbing their favorite summer treat — Western New Yorkers made the most of their day.
Driving down Route 5 or Route 20 means one thing for Katherine Whalen and her family: making a stop at Frosty Treat in Angola. It has been in business for 70 years at the same location and loyal customers flock to it, known for its handcrafted sundaes of more than 70 options.
It is a spot she Whalen has frequented since she was a child.
"Frosty Treat has been here as long as I can remember," said Whalen. "It's always been cash only and they have fun little novelties, different types of ice cream that you can eat and order. You can have the flavor of the week, every week. My favorite is lime."
"Typically, Friday will be the busiest day...A day like this would be about $3,500 which is good," Frosty Treat owner Peter Schmidt said.
The Fourth of July is the busiest holiday for the ice cream stand, so much so that Schmidt explained they employ family and friends to cater to the demand.
"There's a lot of preparation. I've been here since 6:30 this morning, prepping. I'm getting a little tired, getting a little run down. We're keeping it going until 9 p.m. or later. Usually, we won't close until the last customer. So, usually a little after 9:30 p.m.," Schmidt added.
Just down the street is another local business: Connors' Hot Dog Stand.
"We do really well on the Fourth of July," Shannon Shepherd said. "We have lines out the door. We're trying to treat our customers. It's our 80th year in business, so we're kind of celebrating this year. It's a little extra special, but we still keep our prices competitive and low. We want people to come out. We want them to be able to order a hot dog, a cheeseburger, fries and a drink and be able to have them leave feeling like we didn't rob them their pockets."
Shepherd is the oldest of the 4th generation of the Connors family and also manages the business.
"We've been doing this as long as I've been born and it's always the best time of the year. People are coming out to the beach, they want to see fireworks, they want to see the boats. They want to see all the action happening down here. So, we get ready by ordering a ton of food, making sure we're feeding our customers and opening our lots so people can park and access the beach," Shepherd added.
"Connors' is always here to deliver, shared Colby Hess. "Great food, great atmosphere, great customer service...It's a good family spot."
"First thing, it's got to be the hot dogs. They do them nice and crisp, every way you want them to do it. The french fries, forget about it. They fry them to perfection, and then every drink is perfectly poured. They do everything right," Jack Roberts said.
