Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Brings Brooklyn Craft and Bold Flavor to Palm Beach County.

December 4th, 2025

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream may have come a long way from the bright yellow truck that once rolled through New York City streets, but the spirit that launched it is still front and center. What began as a small dream with a big cooler has turned into one of the most recognizable scoop shops in the country. The newest chapter unfolds in Palm Beach County, where the brand’s clean European décor, inventive flavors and unmistakable confidence fit right in with the area’s growing culinary personality.

“We’re such a different business today than we were 18 years ago,” co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen says. “Back then it was scrappy. Today it’s refined, thoughtful and built with purpose.”

Why Palm Beach Made Sense

For Ben, the Palm Beach expansion felt almost predetermined. The Northeast pipeline to South Florida is stronger than ever, and he saw early on how many of his customers split time between the two regions.

“There’s always been that connection between the tri-state area and Palm Beach County. We knew the customers here would get us. Some may have even grown up eating our ice cream,” he says.

That shared sensibility gave Van Leeuwen Ice Cream a built-in audience, but the brand still aimed to bring something fresh to the table.

A Flavor Lab That Never Sleeps

Even as the business expands, Van Leeuwen still treats its ice cream like a craft worth obsessing over. Vanilla remains the backbone of the menu. Ben describes it almost like a philosophy: if the base is excellent, the flavors layered on top will shine.

Inside the company’s Greenpoint flavor lab, new ideas are tested daily while guests in the adjoining shop watch through the glass. The creativity coming out of that space produced two of the company’s biggest releases this year.

• Strawberry Matcha Latte blends ceremonial Japanese matcha with Oregon strawberries.
• Mango Sticky Rice layers coconut rice ice cream with Alfonso mango, a rare seasonal variety that gives the flavor a natural sweetness and depth.

And then there are the flavors that stop people mid-scroll. “We made ten thousand pints of Kraft Mac & Cheese Ice Cream and they sold out in about two minutes,” Ben says. “People couldn’t believe how good it was.”

Design That Doesn’t Whisper

Van Leeuwen’s shops are as intentional as the ice cream they serve. Rather than leaning into nostalgia, the décor pulls from European minimalism. Sharp angles, strong color blocking and carefully chosen accents replace the checkerboard floors and pastel walls most people associate with scoop shops.

“It makes us stand out,” Ben explains. “It’s all about creating a space that feels modern and bright without losing warmth.”

Sustainability That Actually Means Something

The commitment to doing things the right way shows up in the ingredients as much as the design. Their pints are made from recycled materials with plant-based coatings. Cups and spoons come from renewable sources. Pistachios are grown in Sicily without irrigation or pesticides. Chocolates are certified fair trade. Strawberries come from a sustainable Oregon farm called Stahlbush Island Farms.

Nothing about the operation feels accidental.

A Palm Beach Flavor in Ben’s Mind

Ask Ben to describe a flavor that captures the spirit of Palm Beach and he slips into a different mode entirely.

“A dulce de leche base with brown-butter shortbread and chocolate ganache,” he says. “That’s just the feeling that comes out of me.”

No data. No charts. Just instinct.

Community Perks and New Traditions

Van Leeuwen plans to roll out Winter Wednesdays beginning in January, where kids get two free scoops with the purchase of one. The offer runs all day. Every Tuesday, guests can claim a free topping, including Sicilian pistachio cream, Piedmont hazelnut chocolate, house-made hot fudge and other favorites.

For anyone with dietary restrictions, each shop also features up to ten vegan flavors.

A Fresh Addition to the Palm Beach Ice Cream Scene

Van Leeuwen Icecream

Van Leeuwen arrives with the attitude of a brand that knows exactly what it is. It blends craft, design and playful creativity into a scoop shop that feels anything but routine.

Family runs the company, and that sense of care comes through in the details, whether it is perfecting the vanilla base or turning a childhood comfort food into a headline-stealing flavor.

One thing is clear. Van Leeuwen didn’t just open another ice cream shop in Palm Beach County. It introduced a completely new point of view, one scoop at a time.