By Julia Cooper

Judy Chang knew business would be good when a burly Los Altos police officer entered her ice cream store and got so excited about the frozen treats, he reverted to childhood.

“It was funny - he started playing with some of the toys in the store,” Chang said with a laugh.

The Long Island-bred policeman can’t be blamed for his excitement over Carvel, the new ice cream shop in Foothill Crossings. The East Coast-born Carvel franchise operates more than 500 stores nationwide but hasn’t brought its famous soft serve to the Bay Area until now. Franchisee Chang, who opened the store with her husband, David, last month, said East Coast transplants recognize the familiar name and are flocking to the Los Altos Carvel for a taste of back home.

“I just can’t believe how many people here are from the East Coast,” Chang said.

The Carvel enterprise began in 1934 when founder Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck got a flat tire and the ice cream began to soften.

“He was selling ice cream that was halfway melted, and people loved it,” Chang said. With that happy accident, soft-serve ice cream was born.

Vanilla and chocolate swirl cones, Carvelanches blending candy with the cold dessert and freezers full of Fudgie the Whale ice cream cakes are some of the frozen treats that have drawn customers to the Carvel brand for 70 years.

All the ice cream Carvel sells is made fresh on the premises. Chang said many customers don’t realize soft serve contains the same ingredients as firmer ice creams - the only difference is soft serve stores at higher temperatures to obtain its smooth texture.

The Changs operated a Carvel store in Oyster Bay, N.Y., for 12 years before coming to California for family and the milder weather. The Carvel company invited the couple to open a store in the Bay Area, and the Changs chose Los Altos for its prime location and growth potential.

Chang said customers often request ice cream specialties from their past that aren’t offered on current Carvel store menus, like the enthusiastic Los Altos officer elated over his memories of a soft-serve ice cream soda. As a longtime franchisee, Chang knows the recipes to accommodate special requests.

“It may not be on the menu, but we know how to do it,” Chang said.

Carvel’s grand opening is scheduled for early September, with plans for special giveaways to the first customers.

The store is located at 2310 Homestead Road, Los Altos. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m Sundays. For more information, call (408) 737-7702.