Sheffield Graduate Mike Knapp and Family Purchase Bayview Mini Mart & Ice Cream Parlor in Onoville, N.Y.

May 10, 2021

ONOVILLE, N.Y. – Everyone loves ice cream and spending time with family.

And that love is what former Sheffield basketball coach Mike Knapp and his wife, Lorene, are counting on as the new owners of the Bayview Mini Mart & Ice Cream Parlor located across the street from the Onoville Marina and Campground in Onoville, N.Y., just across the New York/Pennsylvania state line from Warren County.

“I had just gotten out of coaching (boys’ basketball at Sheffield) and was looking for a new challenge,” Knapp, a 1983 Sheffield HIgh School graduate where he played primarily basketball but also some football, said about deciding to buy the business in late 2020. “I wanted to spend more time with family but at the same time was looking for a business opportunity. Some friends of ours pointed out that this place was for sale. I went up and started talking to the owner. The more we talked, the more excited we were about the opportunity. We also had friends involved in similar endeavors, and we decided we were going to go for it.”

The Bayview Mini Mart & Ice Cream Parlor, which will open May 17, is a seasonal business, according to Knapp, who finalized the purchase of the business in January.

“We usually open in May and are done around the time the marina closes, which is usually right after Labor Day, I believe,” Knapp said. “We may stay open a little after that depending on the weather.”

The Bayview is your typical small camp store and ice cream parlor and also rents out pontoon boats – they have one 20-foot pontoon and two 24-foot pontoons that are rented out for four, six, or eight hours.

“At the Mini Mart, we have a number of camping and boating items and stuff for kids,” Knapp said. “We have all your staples for camping, potato chips, pop, beer, snacks as well as some milk, eggs and necessity stuff like that. We also have medicines and stuff like that if someone comes down with a cold or allergies as well as pain relief. We carry a small amount of fishing stuff as well. Really, it’s your basic camp store.”

But it is so much more than “just” a camp store.

The Ice Cream Parlor serves both soft serve and hard ice cream as well as a small menu of food items.

“We have the basic staples of the usual ice cream stand,” Knapp said. “In addition to the treats, we have hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders. We are also going go have a fish basket. As time goes on, we are hoping to have small, 12-inch pizzas. As we gain more confidence, we will probably expand the menu.”

As for the boat rentals, Knapp said he could see expanding that service as well in the future.

“We may expand into kayaks,” Knapp said. “But probably not this year.”

Knapp is really excited about this new adventure.

“What I am most excited about is it is just a change from everything I have done before,” Knapp said. “I worked for the state of Pennsylvania most of my career (in Forensics for 20 years and with the Commonwealth for 25 years), and I coached at all different levels for a long time.”

With the Bayview being a seasonal business, it gives Knapp the opportunity to get back into coaching if he chooses – this past season was his first not coaching the Sheffield boys’ basketball team after five years at the helm.

“I really loved coaching,” Knapp said. “This gives me the opportunity to still be involved in coaching if I want.”

Owning the business also gives Knapp the chance to be on the water, meet new people, and catch up with old friends all at the same time.

“I am looking forward to being out on the marina all summer and meeting new people and seeing old friends,” Knapp said.

He is also very happy to have the opportunity to run the new business with his family.

In addition to his wife, he has three daughters and a stepson and six grandchildren who will also be helping – his son-in-law is already helping out.

“My family is going to be involved in various ways,” Knapp said. “That is important that we will be doing this as a family. It is a family business.”

Knapp is looking forward to meeting new people from both New York and Pennsylvania – and other places – and is excited to see old friends as well.

“I have some friends from Warren County who have boats at the marina,” Knapp said. “And a lot of kids I coached have talked about coming up. I am excited about that.”

More information on the Bayview can be found on its new Facebook page, which can be found here. Knapp said they are also considering creating a website for the business in the near future.

“I am looking forward to this new challenge,” Knapp said.

The Bayview Mini Mart and Ice Cream Parlor will be open seven days a week starting May 17. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

More information can be found on their Facebook page

         

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