Thursday, March 24, 2011

Keep on truckin': Van Leeuwen opening dessert shop on Seventh Street

A reader sent along a link to a post on The Feast from last Friday reporting that popular food truckers Van Leeuwen will be opening their third cafe in the city — this one "at Second Avenue near 7th Street."

Per The Feast:

"[T]his first Manhattan branch will focus on locally-made ice cream, Intelligentsia coffee, and house-made pastries, but will be much larger.

"Expect the space to resemble the newest shop, which the young owners designed themselves with reclaimed wood and custom wallpaper."

So, this explains what will be going in here...


As we noted last month, workers at the former City Copies on Seventh Street just east of Second Avenue would be home to "coffee and ice cream."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to Seventh Street: coffee and ice cream

23 comments:

Jeremiah Moss said...

get ready for a shitstorm of assholes crowding the sidewalk.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, and the complaints begin on cue.

F-ing assholes and their ice cream. Bad for the neighborhood, for sure.

Lisa said...

At least the crones from SATC are no longer around to patronize it, thus bringing the Magnolia Bakery tour bus curse to the area.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, you lil bitch. "Ice Cream" and "Van Leewun Artisanal 8 Dollars A Scoop Desserts" are two different things.

Kurt said...

@Anon 9:57 - You totally beat me to it. There are no new businesses people that read this blog will support. They'd all rather see the store fronts stay closed.

Even good new neighbors like Abraco that is only open until 4 PM are called out because of all the assholes that linger outside.

Jeremiah Moss said...

when i first moved to the East Village there were no ice cream shops. there was Ben & Jerry's, but who went there? and i thought the neighborhood could really use one.

one. two would have been plenty.

now it's completely oversaturated with ice cream (vegan, hand-wrought, etc., etc.) and fro-yo. we continue to lose useful businesses for more of the same--luxury "artisanal" treats.

do we need that much of it, really?

Anonymous said...

I have no problem with another ice cream place - though Jeremiah makes a good point that there are many in the neighborhood. That's not exactly a reason for vitriol though.

However, they will get a liquor license over my dead body. I live directly above the space, which was dead quiet until they began extensive construction; judging by the degree of work performed, I would guess they're probably putting a full kitchen in. I wouldn't be surprised if they try the failed Mercury Dime strategy of opening a coffee shop to establish good neighborly-ness, and then 6 or 9 months down the road trying to get a liquor license and transition to a bar or full service restaurant.

Kurt said...

"do we need that much of it, really?"

I don't know but as long as they are good neighbors who am I or anyone else to say?

Anonymous said...

@anon 12:08

Do you know anything about these people? You wouldn't be surprised if they apply for a liquor license . . . you guess they are putting in a full kitchen for a restaurant somewhere down the line. . .

We know they have had a shop in Brooklyn for quite a while without a liquor license. Not guessing, that's something we know.

Anyone who bakes knows a kitchen is necessary - stove, oven, sink, etc and they flat out said they serve homemade pastries. Not hiding that fact.

Let's give these guys a shot before making unfounded assumptions. I, for one, am happy to welcome them to the neighborhood!

And Jeremiah, there's a big difference between pointing out that we already have ice cream options, and "get ready for a shitstorm of assholes crowding the sidewalk." Can't we (as a neighborhood) at least try to be welcoming?

EVGayBear said...

@Grieve

Perhaps you'll consider an end to the "everyone here hates all new businesses" comments. It's on par with the trusty "if you don't like [offending action], then move to [perceived hick town or state]" comment.

Personally, I'm not a dessert person (like my fat ass needs more calories!), though I'm always willing to give new businesses a whirl. Mast on Avenue A has been one of the best storefront additions in some time. I love that they're here.

As to Jeremiah's comment, I have witnessed plenty of asshole behavior around the cult of food trucks. I can see how that behavior would translate to the brick-and-mortar location.

Why, I'll never understand! Family members of mine worked in construction for years, so the thought of eating food from a truck was never seen as so exciting.

(And did I just write brick-and-mortar? Forgivey!)

Kurt said...

@ Anon 12:08 - "The Mercury Dime strategy"? Are you serious? I'm not going to pretend I'm impartial in this one, I've met and kind of know Sascha and TJ that ran Mercury Dime. Mercury Dime always intended on having a beer and wine license, not a full liquor license, it wasn't some covert strategy. They were denied orginally but they decided to open anyway and go up to the board again to plead their case because Sascha has a good reputation as a bar owner. Anyone who knows Sascha's othe bars, Little Branch, Milk and Honey, etc, knows that noise is never tolerated outside and there are never crowds either. Sascha is the kind of business owner you want opening an establishment in your neighborhood. Mercury Dime seated maybe 15 people. Even with a beer and wine license this was never going to be a problem for the neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

Gourmet ice cream is going to attract the fratboy element to the neighborhood.

esquared™ said...

i find the soon to be Van Leeuwen sign offensive...

Kurt said...

@esquared - You heard it was going to be called the "Cold Chicks Room" too?

Lisa said...

So if Jet Blue starts offering this icy treat on their flights would that be "Van Leeuwen on a Jet Plane"?

@Kurt - The Cold Licks Room. Yeah baby!

Jeremiah Moss said...

the trendy food trucks and their brick-and-mortar offshoots come with a lot of buzz. that brings lots of buzz-seeking people. the east village has become a super-magnet for buzziness. that combined buzziness often means loud volumes, crowding, and obliviousness.

for Anon 12:08's sake, and the other neighbors, i hope i'm proven wrong about the new Van L.

we'll see how it goes on the hot summer nights when benches are out front and folks are lapping up the atmosphere.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous man who keeps saying "...going to attract the frat boy element".

Your sarcastic line is tired and NOT FUNNY.
Just like Upright Citizens Brigade, who you're clearly a part of.

New joke, please.

laura said...

few of you understand "business". if ONE ice cream shop takes off then more open. when it becomes a trend still more open, & more & more. untill the next thing. its called "formula"- duh. (remember frozen yogart)? they do it in hollywood all the time. TV, music industry, if it works repeat! what a real neigborhood needs are practical goods & services. i wonder if that many EV residents eat ice cream? how often? or are these places for visitors? weird. personally the biggest loss for me was the closing of 'griestites" on e.14th bet 2nd& 1st. the small supermarket. seems the EV is a college town?

Kurt said...

"personally the biggest loss for me was the closing of 'griestites" on e.14th bet 2nd& 1st."

Really? I always found that Gristedes to be the worse supermarket in the neighborhood. Walk a block east and go to the Associated or a two blocks west to the swanky Food Emporium same prices as Gristedes but way nicer.

seems the EV is a college town

You might have heard of this little institution called NYU...

Anonymous said...

whether it's tips on small business trends or comedy pointers, Ev Grieve's comment pages are just a wellspring of informed commentary and WISDOM.

you guys: my teacher

so much to learn!

Anonymous said...

armchair comedy criticism is going to attract the fratboy element to the neighborhood.

blue glass said...

i see a reality show here.
ice cream (fro-yo, gourmet pizza, artisnal anything... fill in the store)take over east village neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

I live in the East Village for many years, and welcome this place. The more cafes and pastry shops the better, as long as they are actually designed to sit down in and linger, with actual ceramic cups and silverware. The gelato place on St Mark's is excellent; too bad it's on that block of St Mark's which I avoid like the plague. This one has a far better location.

- East Villager