Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Might Expand New York Empire To LA

The team behind the yellow, vintage 50's-style Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream truck have looked out on a constant line of customers since they pulled up to their first New York City curb in 2008.

Maybe knowing they've so easily won over the hearts of New York's notoriously hard to please residents is what's giving them the confidence to possibly expand their business to sunny Los Angeles. Or maybe they just ran out of room in NYC.

The wildly successful gourmet ice cream company has nine locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, not to mention six trucks and three small stores. Tons of upscale grocery stores such as Whole Foods carry their yellow pints.

Something about the combination of a simple vintage truck and ice cream made with the "finest flavors from small producers locally and around the world" made the brand a runaway favorite of New York City's food types. Along with ice cream in such simple flavors as vanilla, hazelnut, and Gianguja, Van Leeuwen also sells pastries and Toby's Estate Coffee.

We hope the irresistible blend of ice cream nostalgia and high quality locavorism is just as much a hit with the LA crowd, and we're sure it will be if they go through with the plan to head West.

In addition to a possible new store in Manhattan and a new store and truck in LA, founders Pete Van Leeuwen, his brother Ben, and Ben's wife Laura O'Neill are also toying with the idea of introducing frozen yogurt, and say the business is "in a great position to grow a lot more."