Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete Van Leeuwen.
Pete, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2007, I gained two new roommates in Greenpoint, Brooklyn – my brother, Ben Van Leeuwen and his girlfriend at the time, Laura O’Neill. One day Ben was walking out of an interview at a financial services company when a chance encounter with a Mister Softee ice cream truck sparked an idea—to create the world’s best ice cream using only the purest, highest quality ingredients, effectively reimagining the ice cream truck experience for the modern consumer. He immediately called Laura and I, and from there the three of us began writing our business plan, testing recipes in our kitchen, and designing our dream ice cream truck. In 2008 our concept came to fruition, and after a few weeks of building customer interest, we all knew we had something special on our hands. Fast forward to today, with 21 scoop shops, ice cream trucks across New York City and Los Angeles, a new flagship location in New York City’s Rockefeller Center and almost 2000 wholesale doors nationwide with additional retail expansion to continue to roll out in 2020, we continue to grow aggressively but thoughtfully.
From the beginning, the Van Leeuwen product line has also expanded rapidly from what it once was. We offer our classic (full dairy), vegan, and the recently added oat milk (also vegan), ice cream lines with ingredients sourced from the world’s best artisan producers and farmers both locally and from around the world. However, through all of the growth and expansion Van Leeuwen has seen over the years, our continued focus on our original mission has always stayed the same: to offer the most delicious classic and vegan ice cream by never sacrificing quality or taste and always sourcing the best ingredients possible.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In the early days of the Van Leeuwen brand, we were operating entirely out of food trucks in New York City. This early operation was challenging as we learned very quickly that growing a thriving ice cream business out of a mobile truck was not the easiest feat.
We were also confronted with the challenge early on of how to make the best ice cream on the planet without any kitchen experience outside of our own homes. The three of us spent several months in our small Brooklyn kitchen testing recipes and experimenting and eventually got very good at making delicious ice cream. The key to our success in this endeavor ended up being pretty simple: The best ingredients on earth, make the best ice cream on earth. As soon as we realized that (to the detriment of our margins) we were off to the races. Taste-wise we had a leg up on everyone. Commercially, no one in the country was making better ice cream.
Today, we face different challenges as we grow nationally. In 2018, we raised money for the first time and with the funds have grown out a very strong team. Over the years, managing people has always been a learning curve for all of us as we have been so used to doing so much ourselves, nearly micro-managing every corner of the business (for better or worse). Ultimately, the creation of departments critical to our success, and hiring the right people to head them, has been a revelation. While it may never feel like “we’ve arrived” it certainly has begun to truly feel as though we are “on our way.” 😉
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about you and your career so far?
Van Leeuwen is an ultra premium ice cream brand known for its clean label dairy and vegan ice creams. Our unique product flavors and continued innovation in the ice cream space, such as the recent introduction of our new oat milk line, differentiate us from our competitors. We pride ourselves on the fact that we use EXCLUSIVELY the best flavors on earth.
We continue to expand our retail footprint in both NY and LA and are looking at two new markets in 2020. Our wholesale channel is now getting a lot of attention as we rapidly gain distribution nationwide. We can now be found in Whole Foods Markets (4 regions), Sprouts, HEB, Safeway (3 regions), Kings, Key Foods, Wegmans, Erewhon, Bristol Farms among several hundred smaller independent stores across the country. I still wear many hats at VL and likely will be for years to come, though currently, I am focusing heavily on the wholesale expansion, new product conceptualization as well as looking into new retail markets (for our scoop shops).
Additionally, with each innovation, we are also committed to remaining mindful of the environment, paving the way for more sustainable practices in the food and beverage industry. Our new oat milk line is no exception, created to offer customers with allergies and dietary restrictions an option to enjoy the same rich, creamy and decadent flavors as dairy consumers, without sacrificing flavor or quality. All of our vegan lines were created to foster a substantial positive impact on the environment as plant-based products allow the brand to reduce the amount of land and water resources expended in the manufacturing process.
In 2008, we set out to revive the classic American ice cream truck, using fresh and sustainably sourced ingredients. With product lines and flavors to fit every palate, increased accessibility nationwide, and sustainability at the forefront, we are most proud to say that we are continuing to exceed our core mission: to bring the highest quality classic and vegan ice cream to the consumer.
Pricing:
- Each individual pint of Van Leeuwen ice cream sold in scoop shops and retailers nationwide is priced at an MSRP of $6.99-$7.99
- Due to the lower cost of oats than nuts such as cashews (used in other vegan varieties) Van Leeuwen has been able to bring the price of its vegan ice cream down from over $10 a pint to $6 or $7 dollars.
- Online through Goldbelly, pints are available in packages of six with a price point of $89 + free shipping for the full box.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8820 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
- Website: https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/
- Phone: (424) 341-0850
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanleeuwenicecream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanleeuwenartisanicecream/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VLAIC
Image Credit:
Headshot credited to Caitlin Ochs
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