Newburgh Dairy and Grill, spiritual successor to Dairy Island at 183 South Robinson Avenue/Route 9W will see its lights on once again, boards off windows and food and treats being served for the summer season with an official opening set for  Monday, July 3 at 10:30 a.m..

The staple ice cream and burger spot was built, according to a property listing, in 1957 and currently sits on the border of the City of Newburgh and Town of New Windsor. Within the City of Newburgh today, Midnight Ferry, which opened last year on the Newburgh Waterfront, has become a new spot for ice cream and other treats. Longtime business Mary Jane’s Dairy Bar, also along Route 9W heading to Marlborough, has remained a long-standing staple in the community. It is currently under construction and repair following a car crash earlier in the year.

The newly created Newburgh Dairy and Grill is currently owned by Guillermo Ramirez, originally from Central Valley, who frequents the City of Newburgh quite often. When he came across the listing for the building, despite not having a background in the restaurant industry, Rodriguez came to tour the building and fell in love with it. John J. Lease Realtors have been assisting Ramirez with the process. “I’m glad that I acquired this historic building, because I know it’s been here forever,” said Ramirez.

During the afternoon of Monday, June 26, Ramirez with several of his family members and a friend were hard at work cleaning and preparing the building for opening day. Upon entry, Rodriguez shared several pieces of memorabilia still intact from the former shop and hand-painted signs with the varying options of food and ice cream that were sold. Item prices were listed at one point under a dollar.

RRamirez is hopeful to deliver a good quality product and service to the community come Friday. “It’s exciting. It’s a roller coaster, because we’ve been through a lot through this process of getting this place, first of all, and the old owner, he’s been very helpful with us. He’s pretty much given me all the tips [to help with the business],” said Ramirez. “Once we open, we want to be open and doing the right thing for the public. I’m happy, but I’m anxious, because I know people are waiting for this place to open.”

Ramirez said that for the first year of business, he will look forward to sharing the familiar foods and treats that made Dairy Island a hotspot destination. In the future, if able, he would like to potentially add some Hispanic dishes to the menu. “Hopefully (Monday) is the first day of many to come because I want to serve the public, I want to do a great job on that. And I also want this business to stay open,” said Ramirez “I’m already picturing my kids, at some point working at this place too and be proud of it.”