Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Opening Millburn Location on 5/8
Summer is less than 45 days away here in the Garden State, so it's time to prep for the season's festivities. In other words, get your sunscreen out, do your swimsuit shopping, and round up a list of must-visit ice cream shops in Northern New Jersey. To add to that 2025 summer bucket list is Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in Millburn, which has plans to open at 35 Main Street this Thursday, May 8th. Read on for what to know about Van Leeuwen Ice Cream coming to downtown Millburn, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: Christina Mastroeni
The Details
On February 3rd, @explormillburnshorthills broke the news about a popular NYC-based ice cream shop coming to downtown Millburn on Instagram. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, known for its artisanal dairy (and dairy-free) creations, is taking over 35 Main Street, in the same building as Willow + Whisk.
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Earlier this year, What Now reported that Van Leeuwen had yet to announce a timeline for its opening, but the franchise was starting to recruit staff, "suggesting locals will be able to enjoy a delicious scoop sooner than later." Now, we know that Van Leeuwen will open its Millburn store on Thursday, May 8th, 2025. Opening day hours will be from 11AM-11PM, with $1 scoops being served from 3PM-5PM. The first 100 customers starting at 3PM will also receive a free tote bag.
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Stretching from New York to California, the dessert joint has locations all across the country, including in the state we call home. The Millburn site will mark its fourth New Jersey location, with the first being in the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, the second on Grove Street in Jersey City, and the third coming soon to Washington Street in Hoboken.
^ Jersey City location
Upon its opening, Essex County ice cream enjoyers can flavors like honeycomb, earl grey tea, buttermilk berry cornbread, and praline butter cake, as well as bars in the flavors toffee brown sugar, vanilla caramel swirl, and raspberry cheesecake. Its frozen treats can also be found in grocery stores nationwide.
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Dairy-free folks don't have to miss out on the fun because Van Leeuwen is also recognized for its expansive list of vegan ice cream. The products come in the form of scoops, bars, and sandwiches, made with three different vegan bases: coconut milk, oat milk, and cashew milk. Some of the featured flavors include vegan strawberry shortcake, vegan cookies + cream caramel swirl, vegan churros + fudge, and vegan choc chip cookie dough.
About Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
After spending several summers working on an ice cream truck during his adolescence, Ben Van Leeuwen became inspired by the classic frozen treats of his childhood. Enter Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a company founded by brothers Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen and Laura O’Neil. The team started their business in 2008 as a food truck and has since then expanded into a dessert empire. The franchise's first storefront opened in Brooklyn and now has locations in 13 states.
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Founded on the premise of making creative ice cream flavors with high-quality ingredients, the brand has a mission of "[making good ice cream that makes you feel good," as per its website. At any of the locations, customers can find a diverse menu, featuring both dairy and dairy-free options, all made with what Van Leeuwen Ice Cream calls the "magic combination," i.e. milk, cream, eggs, and cane sugar, or, for dairy-free eaters, coconuts, cashews, and oats.
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