A longtime favorite of New York City, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream—which began as a mere food truck in 2008 before growing into a nationwide parlor chain—made a sweet first impression on Bostonians when it opened its first Beantown location in April 2024, at 55 Boylston Street in Chestnut Hill. Little more than a year later and there are already three more scoop shops in the greater commonwealth, in the Seaport (70 Pier 4 Blvd), in Harvard Square (1 Brattle Sq) and in Wellesley (180 Linden St). And there's deliciously more where that came from.
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Two more Boston-based locations will soon join their brethren to expand the chain's chilly presence in Massachusetts: Van Leeuwen will open its latest location on Wednesday, June 18 in Back Bay at 400 Newbury Street, to be followed very shortly thereafter by yet another outpost in Fenway, at 86 Van Ness Street, on Friday, June 20.
And what better way to celebrate than with some free frozen treats? To commemorate the Back Bay opening this Wednesday, ice cream lovers can enjoy $1 scoops from noon to 2 p.m. And if you get there on the earlier side, you may be one of the lucky 100 first customers to receive a free Van Leeuwen-branded tote bag.
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“We’re so happy to continue growing in the Boston area and bring Van Leeuwen to the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods just in time for summer,” said Ben Van Leeuwen, CEO and co-founder of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, per Patch.
Following its grand opening, the Back Bay location will be open from Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Its sister shop on Van Ness Street will be open a little later, in case you get those midnight ice-cream munchies: the Fenway outpost will be open from Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.