Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/139333
Laura O'Neill, Ben Van Leeuwen and Pete Van Leeuwen Van Leeuwen's East Village store was sparked by a desire to cut back on their food truck business. "New York is very unfriendly toward food trucks." Less Work, More Joy. Scan the code to get a special Fancy Food Show discount! Booth #4115 sales@stickyfingersbakeries.com www.stickyfingersbakeries.com 1.800.458.5826 Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4115 PHOTO: VAN LEEUWEN Expanding to the city… By June 2011, Van Leeuwen made the move to Manhattan with an outpost in the East Village. The launch was sparked by a desire to grow and to cut back on their food truck business, which, Ben explains, is undependable. "New York is very unfriendly toward food trucks. You never know if you are going to be towed or what is going to happen." At 600 square feet, the East Village store is the largest yet. As with all their stores, the partners serve ice cream, coffees and espresso drinks and pastries. The location, near New York University and other schools, makes it a popular spot for students as well as people living and working in the neighborhood. The East Village also has a popular restaurant and bar scene, which drives customers into the store at night. There are 40 seats for guests, who begin walking in the door at 8 a.m. until around midnight or 1 a.m., depending on the day of the week. Three full-timers and four freelance staffers man the store. Van Leeuwen notes that, in general, serving ice cream is a low-labor job, but when you add a range of espressos, cappuccinos and lattes to the mix, labor costs go up. "One person serving ice cream can do 60 servings in an hour," he says. "One person doing coffee can do less than half of that."