Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening a new location at 3631 Walnut Street, located next to the Inn at Penn.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiVan Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening a new location at 36th and Walnut streets.
The new store is expected to open during summer 2024, according to the Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services office. It will be the fourth Van Leeuwen in Philadelphia and the 55th location in the country. The storefront, which is located at 3631 Walnut St., was previously occupied by The Accolade on Chestnut.
Van Leeuwen, which was founded in 2008 as an ice cream truck in New York, is in the process of expanding. According to their website, there are 10 other locations opening soon in states including New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The company also operates ice cream trucks and carts.
“We’re looking forward to Van Leeuwen bringing their popular ice cream parlor and unique flavors, including vegan and dairy offerings, to the diverse culinary scene in the Shop Penn District,” Penn Executive Director of Real Estate Ed Datz told the The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Wharton senior Jack Wilkin said that he was excited for the new store to be on campus, saying that he had been buying Van Leeuwen pints from the grocery store for a long time. He also pointed out its popularity with Gen Z, saying that it "blends well with our demographic.”
Van Leeuwen is particularly known for their vegan options, offering at least 11 cashew milk-based and nine oat milk-based ice creams and receiving a citation on The New York Times’ Best Vegan Ice Cream List.
College senior Mason Lumer described the Van Leeuwen vegan options as equivalent, if not superior to, their non-vegan counterparts.
“It’s more inclusive to those who keep vegan diets. I feel like a lot more people are choosing to go vegan, or they have lactose intolerant issues that this allows for better alternatives and options for them,” Lumer said.
College junior Sarah Heim also said the vegan options, as well as the location and "gourmet" product, are draws for students. However, she described Van Leeuwen's "expensive" prices as a potential obstacle in its popularity.
The hours of the University City location are currently unknown. Other Van Leeuwen locations in Philadelphia are open until 10 p.m., 11 p.m., or 12 a.m.
Lumer said the extended hours may contribute to Van Leeuwen's popularity, explaining that he could see "a lot of the late night crowds going in and packing" the store.
"Because of the late hours and creative flavors that are fun to try, I see Van Leeuwen's being a very busy and popular spot," Lumer added.
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