Ice cream brand born on the streets of Brooklyn makes it to Times Square

An ice cream brand that started selling from a truck in Brooklyn 15 years ago and now has more than 50 scoop shops in seven states will open its most important location

Van Leeuwen, whose outlandish flavors such as Marionberry Cheesecake and Malted Cookie Dough shake cost $12 a pint, has signed a lease for a 600-sq.-ft. space at 2 Times Square and will open there later this year.

Van Leeuwen caught on with serious foodies nationwide because of the quality of its ingredients and processes. Where the majority of ice cream brands use stabilizers like guar and xanthan gum, Van Leeuwen only uses organic egg yolks.

The brand, founded by brothers Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen and partner Laura O’Neill, sources ingredients worldwide: Michel Cluizel chocolate from Normandy, fresh berries from Oregon, and pistachios grown on the slopes of a volcano in Sicily, for instance.

It uses made-from-scratch dairy bases as well as vegan bases. And while other quality ice cream makers such as Ben & Jerry’s mix batches in 1,000-gallon blending tanks, Van Leeuwen makes all of its ice creams in five-gallon batches.

That’s part of what’s made the brand flourish in California, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Colorado, and Washington D.C. Now Van Leeuwen  has returned to New York City to demonstrate its epicurean ice cream mastery to people from all over the world who flock to Times Square.

“It’s been a long-held dream to have a Van Leeuwen store in Times Square, and we finally found the perfect location,” said O’Neill. “It’s the number one spot for anyone visiting NYC and we are excited to be a part of this iconic attraction so tourists and New Yorkers are able to get a good scoop!”

Van Leeuwen will join co-tenants that include Olive Garden, Max Brenner, and Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery at 2 Times Square, which is also the site of the flagship Renaissance Hotel.

This lease signing comes on the heels of Val Leeuwen openings in Darien, Conn., and Astoria, Queens. All three signings were handled by Brand Urban and Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors.

Further national expansion plans are in the making.