Chunk's Ice Cream gets ready to celebrate its second anniversary

BUCHANAN, Mich. -- A historic piece of local industrial infrastructure found new life as a vibrant community gathering spot on East Dewey Street, where neighbors are preparing to mark a major milestone.

Built in 1916, the tiny structure originally served as a pump house, next door to the old guard house, for the historic industrial operations in the area. After sitting vacant for decades, the building underwent extensive interior renovations to safely house commercial refrigeration and equipment while preserving its unique century-old architectural exterior.

Reopening as Chunk's Ice Cream, the walk-up business partnered with regional dairy providers to serve rotating flavors to local families. The destination hit its stride as a neighborhood staple, with the community preparing to celebrate the shop's second-year anniversary next week on June 8. Chunks will feature birthday cake ice cream over the weekend. Located directly across from Lehman's Orchard Brewery, the repurposed landmark transformed a once-quiet industrial corridor into a walkable, family-friendly hub. Neighbors and visitors routinely gathered on the surrounding green space, turning an old symbol of factory security into a modern anchor for community connection in southwest Michigan.

Co-owner of Chunk's, Haley Jones, told ABC57 Photojournalist Bobby Crain:

"I knew I wanted to open an ice cream shop here, and we knew this was the perfect place. So, when I get to look outside and see all the people out here enjoying it, makes my heart so happy, because that's all I wanted. This building is from around 1916 and back in the day it was an ice cream sandwich shop. Before then, it was the old pump house for Clark Equipment back in the day, so we wanted to bring it back to life, and thought it'd be the perfect place for the ice cream shop."

Jenna, a resident of Buchanan and customer of Chunks, added "Yeah, it just used to be the kind of the old Clark buildings over here, and so I think it's pretty cool that it got restored, and it's getting put to good use."

Finally, an employee of Chunk's named Mahayla told us "It's popping. There are a lot of people that come in to get ice cream when it gets to be above 65."