PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The former Capogiro gelato store, which has been vacant at 13th and Sansom streets for nearly three years, is now occupied by Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
“We do classic ice cream with our dairy base, and then we do vegan ice cream,” said co-owner Laura O’Neill. “Almost half of our menu is vegan. We have bases with cashew and oat milk.”
Van Leeuwen partnered with Federal Donuts for its Philly store launch.
“So we put pieces of the strawberry lavender doughnut into a buttermilk ice cream and then swirls of strawberry lavender jam,” she said of Federal’s signature flavor.
Van Leeuwen started in 2008 out of a scoop truck, and O’Neill said they started opening stores about a year later.
“Then by the 10-year mark, we had 10 stores, and then we’ve been doing some expanding in the last few years,” she said.
Business has been pretty good, even through the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 economy. O’Neill credits it to the nature of the product.
“Because ice cream is a comfort food, I think it’s recession-proof. It’s an affordable luxury.”
O’Neill said they already have plans to expand in Philadelphia.
“So Rittenhouse is 115 S. 18th St., and then 1601 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown,” she said. “Rittenhouse we think around spring, and then Fishtown not until next summer.”
For more on Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, listen to the KYW Newsradio original podcast What’s Cooking on the Audacy app.