Who doesn’t love ice cream? Nothing beats a nice big cup of Rocky Road on a hot day. Well, Singaporean lovers and connoisseurs of the unbeatable comfort food rejoice! Cult-favourite Brooklyn-based ice cream brand Van Leeuwen is opening its first overseas scoop shop at Orchard Central on 4 August 2023! Here’s what you need to know.
Known for their authentic and delicious French ice cream, They started as a humble yellow ice cream truck in the streets of New York City in 2008. Now, that truck has grown into a national phenomenon with over 50 scoop shops across the US.
Made the traditional way, Van Leeuwen’s ice cream is made with double the amount of egg yolks, and their vegan options use natural whole ingredients sourced from the best small producers globally – that means no artificial stabilisers, thickeners or emulsifiers.
It was founded by brothers Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen in Brooklyn in 2008. The idea was born from the brothers’ summer job as ice cream truck drivers while in college. In 2007, when Ben was graduating, he found himself standing at an ice cream truck in New York City, wondering why no one sold good ice cream off trucks.
Everyone loves ice cream, and everyone loves ice cream trucks, so Ben decided he wanted to start an ice cream truck that sold good ice cream.
Ben called his brother, Pete, and then-girlfriend Laura O’Neill to pitch his idea. The team wrote out a business plan, experimented with recipes, and designed their truck ahead of the summer of 2008, when the very first Van Leeuwen ice cream truck made its debut on the streets of New York.
Van Leeuwen’s ethos is that ice cream should be made with nothing but the best. They fully commit to selecting the best ingredients, maintaining simplicity in their recipes, and combining these components in harmony to create their signature French ice cream.
CEO Ben Van Leeuwen has shared his excitement to open their first overseas outlet here in Singapore: “We cannot wait to share our good ice cream, made with good ingredients, that makes you feel good.”
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Singapore will be opening its doors on 4 August 2023 at Orchard Central, managed by Caerus Holding who are also behind other recognisable brands like Lady M New York, Leckerbaer, Luke’s Lobster, and Mr Holmes Bakehouse.
The brand new outlet will be a dedicated scoop shop-and-dine with a menu of vegan and non-vegan ice cream options that come in classic flavours, such as Sicilian Pistachio, Earl Grey Tea, and Mint Chip. All-American favourites like Praline Butter Cake, Marionberry Cheesecake, and Honeycomb are on the menu. More details on the full menu will be released closer to the opening date.
For the first 100 customers in line at Van Leeuwen’s new outlet, they will stand to receive a Van Leeuwen Tote Bag, custom-designed!
But not to worry, customers after the 100 mark will still get a lucky token that could score them some limited-edition merchandise (or more scoops!) via a Gashapon machine.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in Singapore
Opening date: 4 August 2023
Address: Orchard Central 181 Orchard Road #01-19/20, Singapore 238896
In the meantime, you can check out Van Leeuwen Ice Cream on Instagram to keep updated ahead of their launch!
Visuals courtesy of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
