January 19, 2023
Provided Image/VAN LEEUWEN ICE CREAM
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening a new shop at 1601 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown. It will be the Brooklyn-based ice cream company's third Philadelphia location.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening its third Philadelphia location at noon Friday in Fishtown.
To mark the occasion, the Brooklyn-based ice cream company is offering complimentary tote bags to the first 100 people in line and $1 scoops from 4-6 p.m.
On Sunday, the new shop, at 1601 Frankford Ave., will serve a special "Josh's Birthday Party Sundae" to Philadelphia blogger and foodie Josh Moore, whose Instagram page gives followers a peek at new restaurants in the city. The sundaes will be available the next day at Van Leeuwen's two Center City locations — 119 S. 13th St. in Midtown Village and 115 S. 18th St. in Rittenhouse.
The special sundae features chocolate and vanilla scoops, cookies & cream crumble, hot fudge and whipped cream. It's topped with a sugar cone "party hat" and garnished with rainbow sprinkles and edible glitter. When Van Leeuwen opened its Rittenhouse store last April, it had a signature birthday cake flavor inspired by FOX29 anchor Alex Holley.
Van Leeuwen started as a food truck in Brooklyn in 2008. Led by Ben and Peter Van Leeuwen and Lauren O'Neill, the company makes dairy and vegan treats, including more than 20 made-from-scratch flavors.
In more recent years, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has grown into a nationally recognized brand. The new Fishtown store will be the company's 39th scoop shop across a territory that includes New York, California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut and Texas. Three stores are planned in Washington, D.C. as part of wider expansion.
The company has a mix of can't-miss flavors, like honeycomb and brown sugar cookie dough crunch, and more experimental adventures like the popular the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ice cream. Van Leeuwen also sells ice cream bars, milkshakes, cookies, root beer floats and sundaes.
The winter seasonal flavors currently available at all shops are vegan gingerbread, browned butter caramel chai, coconut rum coquito and lemon poppyseed muffin.
