CHICOPEE — Petros Mirisis has often wanted to take his young children out for ice cream, but finding a nearby spot was never as easy as it seems.

So he decided to open his own.

Petros Ice Cream is to open May 1, serving all the typical treats that an ice cream shop would – cones, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream floats and smoothies. It will carry 24 flavors of Gifford's premium hard ice cream and vanilla and chocolate soft serve from Garelick Farms, he said.

"We will rotate the flavors and we will have specials," said Jessica Mirisis, who is working with her husband to open and operate the shop.

The couple tasted a variety of different ice cream brands and decided on Gifford's. They then ordered the most common flavors and tried to guess what else people would want to try.

"I think the strawberry cheesecake and fly fishing fudge will be popular," Jessica Mirisis said. The novel fly fishing flavor has M&Ms, cookie dough, chocolate chunks and fudge mixed in vanilla ice cream.

The idea for the shop started when a former funeral home on Front Street was put up for sale. Mirisis, the owner of Petros Breakfast & Lunch, decided the building was the right spot for an ice cream shop.

"It is the perfect location across from the library," he said.

It is also down the street from the Dupont Middle School, Chicopee High School and Szot Park, where hundreds of sports teams practice. Making it equally attractive, it is a five-minute drive to Mirisis' Chicopee home and within walking distance from his Front Street restaurant.

Mirisis and his wife bought the building in February 2015 and renovated part of the first floor to turn it into the ice cream shop.

One of the highlights is the large wrap-around porch complete with a walk-up window and plenty of outside seating. For now there will be no inside seating.

"I built the deck outside. Whenever you want ice cream you want to sit outside," he said.

He is still renovating the rest of the first floor of the building and is considering opening a second room for birthday parties. There is an apartment on the second floor, which he is renting, he said.

Mirisis said he questioned if he should tell people the shop was once the Lawrence A. Maziarz Funeral Home, but there is a nod to the former business on his sign. Under the pink and purple lettering announcing "Petros Ice Cream" it says in smaller script "A taste to die for."

It is subtle, but people who know the history of the city will get the joke, he said.

Mirisis said he isn't an ice cream expert, but then again he wasn't an expert when he opened his breakfast and lunch place four years ago, and that business has thrived.

He also has plenty of expertise in the restaurant industry overall, and his wife also worked as a waitress for 10 years. The couple said they will figure out what is popular and what needs to be changed.

"I know how to cook," he said. "All food service is similar."

Born in Chicopee, Mirisis' parents moved back to Greece when he was 6 months old. In 2000, he returned to the United States, where he has many extended family members. He then began working in his uncle's restaurant.

Later, he became a partner at the Papa George Pizza in Easthampton, and has worked at other Italian restaurants. Then he had the chance to open Petros Breakfast & Lunch in 2008.

Mirisis said a lot of people asked him: "What do you know about breakfast?"

He said he has been blessed with regular customers and a successful business.

The main reason Mirisis said he decided start a breakfast and lunch place was he wanted to spend more time with his young family. The couple has three daughters, Katerina, 10, Alexandra, 3, and Eleni, 2 months.

Jessica Mirisis, a registered nurse, left her job at Mercy Medical Center when her youngest was born. She has been spending a lot of time working with her husband to get the ice cream shop ready and will work there once it opens.

"She is going to be here a lot because I'm going to be here," she said, referring to her infant daughter.

In addition, Jessica Mirisis said her sister plans to help out the family at the shop.

"We are a family business. By patronizing a small business you help to support a small family," Petros Mirisis said. "We appreciate our customers for that."

Initially, Mirisis said he will have two of his current employees work at the ice cream shop. He has hired about 10 new employees, mostly high school and college students because the business will be seasonal.

The couple is planning a grand opening on May 4, in part to celebrate their middle daughter's fourth birthday. After that, they expect to be open until late fall, depending on the weather.