Two entrepreneurs will bring the nostalgia of the old-fashioned ice cream parlor back to downtown Spartanburg.
Kathy and Michael Silverman, owners of The Local Hiker at 173 E. Main St., have signed a lease on a 1,900-square-foot space at 147 E. Main St. where they plan to open Hub City Scoops by mid-June.
The couple said the 37-seat store could create six new jobs and feature 28 flavors of a premium ice cream brand yet to be named that is currently not sold in South Carolina.
“It feels good to finally get to this point,” Michael Silverman said. “The intent overall is to provide a great atmosphere… Part of fostering the growth of downtown is creating places that people want to go to and keep coming back to… There are a lot of great things happening in downtown and we want to say that we have a valuable stake in what’s going on.”
The Silvermans opened their specialty hiking and camping store after winning the city of Spartanburg’s inaugural Main Street Challenge in 2013.
Flavors at Hub City Scoops will be rotated seasonally, the owners said. They also plan to have a hot cookie dessert, a range of toppings, malts and milkshakes and a root beer float.
The store will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“We’re excited and a little nervous, but we definitely think this will be a positive for downtown,” Kathy Silverman said.
The couple said they will serve samples of their ice cream at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s annual Criterium bicycle race in downtown on Friday evening, and during Spring Fling on Saturday and Sunday.
Hub City Scoops will be located in the old Bijou Market building beside Archived Clothing in the space formerly occupied by Herb & Renewal.
Andrew Babb and Kevin Pogue with NAI Earle Furman brokered the transaction.
“We are very excited for the Silvermans,” said Will Rothschild, a spokesman for the city. “They are two existing business owners who are doubling down on downtown. The fact that it’s a unique ice cream concept is another example of how Spartanburg is truly authentic. And it’s another destination on the eastern side of Church Street. That block of East Main Street is extremely important to us. The Local Hiker is already an important anchor. This will make 66 new businesses that have opened in downtown since January 2013.”
For more information, visit: facebook.com/hubcityscoops.
