Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Plans Expansion in Ardmore, Greater Philadelphia Region
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has been making its cool, creamy mark on Philadelphians for the last three years. Now the company says it plans to expand to 15 to 20 stores in the Greater Philadelphia region over the next several years.
The New York-based ice cream company, founded in 2008 by Laura O’Neill and brothers Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen, creates hand-dipped dairy and vegan ice cream, along with ice cream sandwiches.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opened its first ice cream parlor in Philadelphia’s Midtown Village in 2021. Since then, the ice cream company has added locations in Rittenhouse Square, Fishtown, and University City.
According to a statement from CEO Ben Van Leeuwen in the Philadelphia Business Journal, the company’s Philadelphia ice cream parlors have been outperforming shops in New York City and other markets. For example, its new University City location beat the company’s initial sales forecast by nearly 15%.
“There’s still a lot of empty space for us to go all over the country, but especially Philly,” Van Leeuwen told the Business Journal.
The company plans to open a 1,600-square-foot storefront in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, at Suburban Square’s new Coulter Place development in March 2025. When opened, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream will join six other shops set to open there in 2025.
While no immediate plans exist to add additional locations in the Philadelphia region, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is eyeing the King of Prussia Mall and Princeton, New Jersey, as potential future venues. In addition to its stores in the Greater Philadelphia region, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream operates in eight states and the District of Columbia. The company’s ice cream is also available in grocery outlets nationwide.
