New York City — Brand Urban, a real estate brokerage and advisory company based in Manhattan, and Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate brokerage, have brought Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to Times Square. The nationally beloved brand, known for its made-from-scratch dairy and vegan ice cream, has signed a lease for a 600-square-foot scoop shop at 2 Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. Marking the brand’s 27th location in New York City, Van Leeuwen at 2 Times Square is slated to open in late 2023.
Emily Green of Brand Urban co-represented the tenant in the transaction alongside Jason Kastner of Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors, Van Leeuwen’s master broker, while the landlord, Sherwood Equities, represented itself.
“It’s been a long-held dream to have a Van Leeuwen store in Times Square, and we finally found the perfect location,” says Laura O’Neill, co-founder of Van Leeuwen. “It’s the Number 1 spot for anyone visiting NYC and we are excited to be a part of this iconic attraction so tourists and New Yorkers are able to get a good scoop!”
Located at 2 Times Square, the new storefront in New York’s bustling Times Square places Van Leeuwen at the epicenter of Manhattan’s densest market. This highly visible location will allow the brand to bring its specialty ice cream to the masses and capitalize on the heavy foot traffic around 2 Times Square. The 26-story mixed-used property anchors the north end of the square and features historic signage including the Coca-Cola digital billboard. Van Leeuwen will join retail tenants such as Olive Garden, Max Brenner and Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery at 2 Times Square, which is also the site of the flagship Renaissance Hotel.
The new lease at 2 Times Square comes on the heels of two recent Van Leeuwen store openings in Darien, Conn., and Astoria, Queens. Brand Urban and Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors were involved in both transactions as the company’s tri-state brokerage. Van Leeuwen currently has locations in New York, California, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Colorado and Washington, D.C., with plans for continued national growth.
Brand Urban is a New York City-based real estate advisory brokerage company. Specializing in best-in-class food and beverage and lifestyle retail, Brand Urban works with both tenants and landlords, serving as strategic consultants and leasing advisors in flagship urban and suburban markets nationwide. Clients include Maman, Planta, Van Leeuwen, Quality Branded Restaurants, among others. For more information, visit https://www.brandurbanre.com/.
Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors is a forward-thinking retail real estate advisory firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. Through their National Advisory Group (NAG), they partner with top-tier, growth-stage retailers to develop and implement nationwide real estate growth strategies that are based on proven success factors. For more information, visit http://dochalex.com.
Founded in 2008, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream started out of a yellow scoop truck on the streets of New York City by Ben Van Leeuwen, Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O’Neill. Today, with 51 scoop shops across the country, Van Leeuwen ice cream is also available for purchase in grocery stores and nationwide shipping. For more information, visit http://www.vanleeuwenicecream.com.
SOURCE: Brand Urban / Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors