Photo by Steven
Surprise Scoop is now open at 139 First Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (Its grand opening was over the weekend.)
The owners of the previous business here, Stuffed Ice Cream, closed the shop in October for this new concept.
The brand's Instagram account states that it is "The World's First Flavor Roulette Ice Cream Shop —Where Every Scoop is a Surprise!"
You order from a touch-screen menu. And there's only one item: "Surprise Ice Cream." (FYI: Everything is nut-free.) Staff working in the back will then hand you your ice cream in a to-go container. Flavors change daily.
How it works and questions...
If this sounds stressful, you want to pay in cash, you don't like a specific flavor of ice cream, or you only want vegan ice cream, you can simply go to one of the other 25-plus ice cream shops in the area that meet your needs.
Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 2-10 p.m.
Friday, 2-11 p.m.
Saturday, noon-11 p.m.
Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
This is deranged. The crowd that will enjoy such a concept must overlap entirely with the type of people who will complain that the random scoop they've been given is the wrong color for Instagram that day. Good luck with this extremely dumb plan B.
ReplyDeleteOh man there’s so much I could comment on this. Let’s just say I don’t like any surprises going into my mouth!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I will not be patronizing the store I wish them good luck.
yikes. Also, people have severe allergies to more items than nuts.
ReplyDeleteI want to like this idea but am not sure I do. Will think on it.
ReplyDelete"your ice cream in a to-go container" which will be thoughtlessly tossed into a tree pit, the gutter, left on top of a garbage can or someone's stoop and add to the to-go trash everywhere.
ReplyDeleteLOLOLOLOL
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the "Shut Up and Eat It Kitchen" at Rainbow Gatherings.
Wow. What business has money to burn on an idea that will appeal to a very small segment of people? Def no children.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything special about this ice cream? Where is it made. Or just someone slinging whatever they want. Maybe they bought a pint from Lime Tree and now here it is? —nothing about quality. And how much is it for a scoop of this great uncertainty?
Their initial business failed/closed so they're trying this. If the product is good, people will come. You don't need to do anything gimmick. When your product isn't good is when business owners try a one last attempt at some random gimmick in almost all cases doesn't last. Hope I'm wrong here, but i think people like to know what they're getting or have the option to chose what they want. It's their money.
DeleteGreat concept for the owner. They only need to buy what they can sell daily and it can be just one flavor.
ReplyDeleteCashless stores are illegal in NYC. Guess they didn't check the law.
ReplyDeleteI reported them last week to the city. I received a letter via email today that an inspection was performed and action will be taken by the city (dept of consumer and worker protection)The city responded surprisingly quick, they must take this thing seriously!
DeleteOk Karen. Have you not have anything better to do than sit around and reporting/ hurting businesses because they don't accept cash?
DeleteOn second thought, this could be a new Superdive, the Empire Biscuit of 2025. It could bring the East Village together ... in irritation, in alarm, in pointing-and-laughing. We need this right now, people!!! Let's goooo
ReplyDeleteTheir stuffed donuts were pretty awesome
ReplyDeleteI'm betting that this will be a SM "thing" and there will be a line opening day and at least a week after.
ReplyDeleteworst idea ever. Did they put this before a focus group?
ReplyDeleteAren't NYC stores legally required to accept cash?
ReplyDeletebut do they serve it in.a hoof?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a missed opportunity not to have a freezer full of pints of that week's flavors - if you love your SURPRISE sample, why not sell pints of the same to happy customers? So short sighted.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is it about cashless ice cream? The last time I went into Van Leeuwen to buy a couple pints (I wanted to break a big bill, lol) I was told they did not accept cash! Unless, of course, I withdrew cash from the ATM conveniently located next to the register, and paid that way.
I put the pints back in the freezer.
It was an ongoing issue between van leeuwen and the city.. They were fined a few times and forced to comply. It made the rounds in the news!
DeleteUnfortunately this will not work. One, not a great idea to open an ice cream place in the middle of winter when people aren't exactly reaching for ice cream. Secondly, people want to know what they are getting with their money aside from it being ice cream. If it's assuming in the area of $8, and I end up getting just vanilla or something super simple? It'd be heated and likely leave a bad review. Only places that have a strong reputation of delivery good ice cream, like Salt & Straw, Van Leeuwen and the likes can pull something like this off because their ice cream is well known to be quality and good. What these guys should have done is offer a small selection of permanent flavors and then as a fun option give the customer the chance to pick a random surprise flavor if they wish to. These types of gimmicks just don't last very long especially when there are so many other options. Let the product do the talking. Stuffed closed because their ice cream was just average. When it was reported they would be opening under a new brand I had hoped they would have taken the time to refine their ice cream and come back with something stronger. Wish them well but this idea isn't going to attract me to the store.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an awful idea and I really love it. I can't wait to see what becomes of this place... literally no one wants this.
ReplyDelete**Queue the Michael Jackson Popcorn GIF**
What a bunch of boring yawns you all are.
ReplyDeleteThis might work. It might be fun.
Good luck to them!
I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be some kind of hidden camera gag to create "content" online somewhere. That and, as others have pointed out, cashless businesses have been illegal in NYC for over 3 years now. https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/Prohibition-of-Cashless-Establishments.page
ReplyDeleteI know it’s cold and snowed today but I miss Big Gay Ice Cream. That salty pimp they had was awesome.
ReplyDeleteI think anonymous 7:58 may be on to something.
ReplyDeleteAre we to assume that the first people in line won't reveal what was inside their mystery containers until the next day or something like that? Will they have to sign an NDA?
ReplyDelete