MILTON, N.Y. — New local business The Wind-Chill Factory & Mini-Golf celebrated a grand opening this week as its first season gets underway.
Offering food and ice cream, The Wind-Chill Factory opened earlier this month at 3 Treible Ave. in Milton.
This is the former site of Mr. Bill’s, which announced in March that it would not reopen, though its South Glens Falls location is still operating.
The property’s miniature golf course is being completely renovated, with all 18 greens to be replaced before it opens in the coming weeks.
For now, local community members are invited to check out The Wind-Chill Factory’s menu, which includes fresh hand-packed burgers, fish fry and more, along with both soft serve and hard ice cream and Dole Whip.
The new seasonal eatery and mini-golf facility is the second location of The Wind-Chill Factory which also serves up summertime fare in Ticonderoga, where it has become a popular spot over the past 26 years.
Mini golf, however, is a new venture for owners Brandon and Keely Whalen, who aim to create a fun, family atmosphere at their new establishment.
From dinner to ice cream to entertainment – “It’s a whole family experience,” Keely said.
The Wilton couple and their business were welcomed into the community on Thursday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
Upon starting this new endeavor, the Whalens look forward to being part of the community and providing locals with a one-stop-shop for great food, ice cream, and family fun.
The owners are focused on providing high-quality food. For first-time visitors, they recommend trying their family recipe Michigan sweet meat sauce, which can be served on hot dogs, burgers or fries.
Brandon and Keely were each raised in the food and ice cream restaurant industry. Brandon’s father, Bobby Porter, has owned and operated the Ticonderoga Wind-Chill Factory location since Brandon was three years old. Keely’s parents, John, and Roberta Cooper, owned a roadside food and ice cream business in Crown Point, just north of Ticonderoga, throughout Keely’s entire childhood, instilling in her a flourishing passion for the business.
Opening their own Wind-Chill Factory together is something that Brandon and Keely have felt destined to do.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was like 10 years old,” Brandon said.
Brandon enlisted in the Navy in 2013 as a Submarine Nuclear Operator. He and Keely left their home in the Adirondacks for Connecticut, where Brandon served four years aboard the USS Minnesota. They returned to the area in 2019 after Brandon was stationed as an instructor at Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit Ballston Spa, where he continues to serve today.
Here, the Whalens added two additions to their family – their son Declan and their daughter Adalyn – and they look forward to bringing up their children in a similar way as they were raised in the family ice cream and food business.
The Wind-Chill Factory is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. During the summer months, the ice cream window will be open later.
Starting soon on Wednesdays, it will continue to host the weekly car shows that have been a summer staple for the area. Everyone who enters will receive a free ice cream, and the winner will be awarded a gift card to the business as well as a custom first-place trophy.
More information about The Wind-Chill Factory & Mini-Golf can be found at www.windchillfactory.com, where customers can place online orders for pickup or delivery.
The business can be contacted by calling (518) 885-7888.
