You might say it’s a family affair, but that doesn’t fully describe the magic and creativity the Rosenbaum family is bringing to their new dining establishment, the Lake Effect Ice Cream & Eatery in Hagar Shores.
Lifelong residents of Southwest Michigan, Brooke and Paul Rosenbaum aren’t new to the food service industry. Prior to opening Lake Effect this summer, Brooke previously operated Patchwork Brewing Co. in Decatur. They opened the microbrewery and eatery in 2011 and became well known for their pizza. However, Brooke said with young children at the time, they made the tough decision to sell.
“We really enjoyed running it. After we sold it, we always talked about (how) we’d like to do it again, give it another shot, and get back into it.”
Rosenbaum said the opportunity to open Lake Effect is perfect because the children are older – the youngest is 12 and the oldest is 22 – and the family lives close to the restaurant. Living in the Hagar Shores area, she said it’s mostly a food desert. Rosenbaum is a fan of DiMaggio’s Pizza and Burgers but wanted to give people some variety.
In addition to serving Hudsonville Ice Cream (including flights of six scoops topped with bits of waffle cone), Lake Effect Ice Cream & Eatery boasts a Hagar-themed menu of savory items including hot sandwiches, subs, appetizers, salads, and hand-tossed pizzas.
Among the selection, there’s the Mayor of Hagar hot sandwich, which is a double smash burger on a brioche bun. There’s the Club 33 sub sandwich, which has hickory-smoked ham, roasted turkey, bacon, and provolone. The Club 33 is named for one of the long-time iterations of the building when it was Vince’s Club 33. There’s also the Kayak Launch or Hagar Hippie sub options (for vegetarians), a Blue Star sandwich (chicken with sauteed onions and peppers), and Spicy Hagar Slaw as a side.
For pizza offerings, Lake Effect currently lists six options including a build-your-own selection. Brooke said her favorite is the #4, which is kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese on pesto. Rosenbaum said the tomatoes and the basil and garlic for the pesto are organically grown in the family’s nearby garden.
Rosenbaum said it’s only a matter of time before the pizza takes off.
“I’m pretty excited about the pizza at Lake Effect. Whenever we have friends or family over, we make pizza. We’ve sold more sandwiches than pizza, which I’m kind of surprised about, but I think the pizza will catch on eventually.”
Why the name, Lake Effect Ice Cream & Eatery? Rosenbaum said it’s because of the lake and the beaches, and the opportunity to serve the surrounding Hagar Shores community so they don’t have to drive too far for food and treats.
“My family loves to get ice cream, but we have to drive into town. So, I thought that ice cream would definitely be something people would be looking for in the neighborhood as they return from the beach or whatever. (For) the eatery part, we do sandwiches, hot and cold, pizza, we have fryers, so we have appetizers, French fries, and different fried foods. Ice Cream and Eatery, I just thought it sounded cute.”
Nearly one month since their opening, Rosenbaum said the reception has been great.
“We’ve got a really wonderful response from the neighborhood. I think we were absolutely right that the neighborhood needed somewhere else to eat. You know, I’m a big fan of DiMaggio’s, we go there for pizza pretty frequently, but you can only eat at the same place so many times, so I think having an option is something people were looking for.”
As far as plans to expand, Rosenbaum said within the next year they will put in a larger door in the back and expand outdoor seating. In the immediate future, they’re going to hire “a little” based on how busy they are in the off-season and extend their hours of operation.
“People should look for us to expand our hours. (It’s) maybe a little counterintuitive to expand your hours as the fall season comes on, but we do plan to try to stay open year-round.”
Lake Effect Ice Cream & Eatery at 6218 M-63 (formerly Water & Wheat) is open Thursday through Sunday from 4 pm till closing. Fridays and Saturdays, they close at 10 pm. Thursdays and Sundays, they close at 9 pm.
Rosenbaum welcomes people to stop in for food or order online for pickup. You can access their menu on their Facebook page or website.
Pictured above: (Left to right) Shana, Brooke, and Stella Rosenbaum at Lake Effect right before the grand opening.
