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

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.