Vegan ice cream is becoming increasingly popular, and the market for vegan ice cream is forecast to have high growth potential. One company that embodies this trend is the start-up company VanLeeuwen. The New York-based company recently received capital from Strand Equity to expand and open new stores.
The company, which was founded in 2010, will have a total of 16 branches in the foreseeable future. The idea to produce vegan ice cream came to co-founder Ben Van Leeuwen as early as 2002, when he and his former wife Laura O’Neill and his brother Peter Van Leeuwen decided to open a vegan ice cream shop. This went in contrast to conventional ice cream vendors, which primarily sold industrially-produced ice creams.
By raising capital, VanLeeuwen will now be able to open stores in Manhattan’s Soho district, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Silver Lake in New York’s Wyoming County.
