News

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream coming to Old Town

By James Cullum
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Fans of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream won’t have to travel to Arlington anymore to get their fix. The company recently filed an administrative special use permit (DSUP) application with the city to open a location in Old Town.

The New York City ice cream shop wants to open at 400 King Street, next door to the Alexandrian Old Town Hotel and Southern restaurant King & Rye. Proposed hours would be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, and the business expects between 150 and 250 daily customers, according to the SUP. The last day for public comments on the proposal is Aug. 21.

Van Leeuwen says in its application that improvements to the property include:

  • New interior partitions to define back of house and sales area functions
  • New light fixtures
  • An electrical, mechanical and plumbing system
  • New finished, fixtures, millwork and equipment, including a 3-compartment sink, grease trap, refrigerators and freezers

The DSUP also said that no ice cream will be made on-site.

Plan for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream at 400 King Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

News of the news shop shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. In March, the building’s owner, AB/FH Alexandrian Hotel Owner LLC, submitted paperwork to demolish existing vacant tenant space and add new ADA-compliant entrances. In that application, renderings from prospective tenants were also included in the submission from architect Pames Pandula of K+P Architects. Those renderings show the exterior of a vibrant Van Leeuwen ice cream shop next to where King & Rye is currently located and a Life Alive Organic Cafe in an empty space formerly occupied by Long and Fosters Realtors.

The company was founded as an ice cream truck in New York City in 2008, according to the Van Leeuwen website. It’s headquartered in Brooklyn, and now has more than 50 locations across the country.

The shop will face stiff competition. In case you missed it, Forbes listed Alexandria as the ice cream cone capital of the U.S. in 2019.

Below is a list of ice cream shops in Alexandria.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.