NYC’s Van Leeuwen Ice Cream scoops up new location now open in Charlotte

You can skip the ice cream aisle on your grocery run because Charlotte is now getting a taste of a fan-favorite ice cream shop. 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is popping up with more scoop shops across the country this year, including one in the Queen City that opened Sept 4 — its first in North Carolina.

‘Goodness Coming Soon’

The New York City-based ice cream chain, known for its wide variety of classic and creative flavors, originally opened as an ice cream truck in 2008.

Since then, the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream brand of “good ice cream, from good ingredients, that makes you feel good” has grown to more than 50 scoop shops, with pints also in grocery stores and shipped nationwide.

The Van Leeuwen team debuted its Charlotte scoop shop in Plaza Midwood, serving up a variety of ice cream flavors, including vegan options too, that can be topped off with candied, creamy and crunchy toppings like:

• Dark chocolate fudge brownie 

• Peanut butter brownie honeycomb

• Cookies and cream

• Mint chip 

• Vanilla bean

• Ice cream cake

• Strawberry shortcake 

• Banana bread pudding with fudge swirls

You can also satisfy your sweet tooth with milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and more. 

The scoop shop is also known for creative seasonal flavors and wild collaborations like Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ice cream. 

Local collaboration

The shop on Commonwealth Avenue opened with local flair: A limited-time collaboration sundae with the Batchmaker Cristina Rojas. 

“I have been a fan of Van Leeuwen for a while so collaborating on this sundae has been a dream,” said Rojas, who is the Batchmaker and owner of Batch House, in a statement emailed to CharlotteFive. “Our creation brings together one of our favorite recipes and their delicious ice cream — I cannot wait for you all to try it!”

Grand opening celebrations also included $1 scoops from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the first 100 guests received free Van Leeuwen tote bags. 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Location: 1711 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

Menu

Instagram: @vanleeuwenicecream

This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 1:40 PM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription