Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
NY ice cream brand Van Leeuwen to open 1st Korea store in southern Seoul
A promotional illustration for the Brooklyn-born artisanal ice cream brand Van Leeuwen. Courtesy of Twosome Place
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Van Leeuwen, a New York-based premium ice cream brand, will open its first Korean store near Gangnam Station on July 3, operated under a master franchise agreement with Korean dessert cafe chain A Twosome Place, the company said Wednesday.
Founded in 2008 when siblings Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O'Neill launched a yellow ice cream truck in Brooklyn, Van Leeuwen has grown into one of the fastest-expanding ice cream brands in the United States, with more than 100 company-owned scoop shops and distribution through over 10,000 retail channels as of January.
The Gangnam Station flagship will serve the brand's full lineup, including French-style classic ice cream made with more than double the egg yolks of conventional recipes and no artificial stabilizers, dairy-free vegan varieties using oat, coconut and cashew bases, American-style sundaes and milkshakes. Signature flavors include vanilla bean, Sicilian pistachio and Earl Grey tea.
A Twosome Place plans to open a second location inside Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch and a third near Sinnonhyeon Station, both targeted for this summer.
The company said the rollout focuses on premium Gangnam-area retail corridors to build early brand recognition.
"We will quickly solidify our position in the domestic premium ice cream market and present a new standard for super-premium ice cream," an official with A Twosome Place said.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.