NYC’s Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Opens in Seoul — Will ‘Sunscreen’ Flavor Follow?
Creatrip Team
25 days ago
Premium New York ice cream brand Van Leeuwen opened its first South Korean store near Gangnam Station on July 3 under a master franchise with Korean café chain Tous Les Jours (투썸플레이스). Founded in Brooklyn in 2008 from a single yellow truck, Van Leeuwen now runs over 1,000 U.S. stores and ships products as finished goods from U.S. factories. The brand emphasizes high-quality, simple ingredients (no artificial additives) and offers vegan options made from coconut, cashew and oat; four of 24 flavors brought to Korea are vegan. Known for creative and viral flavors — from mac & cheese to pizza and even a “sunscreen” flavor — Van Leeuwen has strong celebrity attention and aims to use Korea as a launchpad for wider Asian expansion. Opening promotions include $1 single scoops and free upgrades. The partnership with Tous Les Jours (투썸플레이스) gives Van Leeuwen local operational support while maintaining brand control. Analysts say Van Leeuwen chose Korea because Korean consumers lead global food trends and appreciate both quality and brand philosophy, making the market attractive despite a sluggish domestic ice cream sector.
