It’s a sad way to start the day when you find out Big Gay Ice Cream is going away. “The Landlord has Legal Possession of these premises, pursuant to Warrant of Civil Court.” That’s what it says in the window at 516 Columbus Avenue, on the corner of West 85th Street.
Big Gay Ice Cream, the brainchild of owners Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, came to the Upper West Side in February 2020 with lots of fanfare. What began as a lone ice cream truck in 2009 was emerging into a bustling business with a legion of fans matched with critics and influencers alike, who adored their fun flavors like The Salty Pimp and Birfdae Cëk.
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This apparent closure comes after Quint and Petroff closed their original East Village location in January 2021 — after operating here for over a decade. The very next week, on Philadelphia’s South Street, Big Gay closed down its first and only location outside of NYC.
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“Empty storefronts, the result of both rising rents and the COVID-19 pandemic, have settled in. Many great businesses have closed. It ain’t what it was. As a seasonal business with no indoor seating we recognize that the location will never truly recover. Therefore, we have decided to call it,” was the note posted on Big Gay’s Facebook page on January 25, 2021. Looks like the Columbus Avenue location is facing the same demise. But if it’s any consolation, another ice cream shop is opening nearby soon.
Looking through Big Gay Ice Cream’s window on Thursday, March 3.
To make matters worse, ever since Fairway was acquired by Shoprite, you can no longer find Big Gay Ice Cream in the long-time grocer’s freezer section. We also miss Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce if anyone over there is reading! Please bring them back …
Big Gay Ice Cream is down to two shops in the city: Madison Square Garden and the South Street Seaport at 207 Front Street. I wonder if they still have their original truck?
We’ve reached out to Big Gay Ice Cream for comment. We’ll provide an update if we learn more.
They used corn syrup in basically every flavor.
It wasn’t a serious high quality ice cream, even though it started with a truck.
Tell Shoprite to bring back broccoli rabe!
Whole Foods has Broccoli rabe and so does West Side Market. Hope this is helpful.
Kind of a long walk from Shopway (the West 70s) to those other stores.
Email “Fairway” at villagefairway at wakefern dot com and ask that, items which Shoprite (Wakefern) stopped carrying — broccoli rabe in your case — be restocked.
I have made such requests. Albeit, it took several emails to achieve real (enduring) results.
Make sure to point out which area markets still stock broccoli rabe regularly, and note the pricing.
They had Broccoli Rabe this week.
Okay, perhaps Fairway had broccoli rabe this week, but there’s a lot of things that the store doesn’t carry now that it’s Shoprite.
These are things that other area markets carry.
Are there things that only Fairway has and other area markets don’t carry or only carry in limited quantities and types? Yes, but these aren’t items new to Fairway with the purchase by Shoprite (Wakefern).
They were incredibly rude EVERY SINGLE TIME we went in. The store was poorly designed and non inviting. The countertops and the area where the ice cream is scooped looked filthy and poorly designed. The barriers because of Covid were ridiculous. They had 4 people scooping on days when they weren’t busy at all. Take a note from Van Leuvevans playbook and learn to do it better.
Oh this is so sad! Love their ice cream! And a fun place!
$10 says a restaurant will take the space and put a shed in the street.
Good riddance. They generated loads of plastic trash.
Lots of reasons they closed. Won’t miss them and I see they didn’t go respectfully making the landlord repossess. Probably stiffed him out of 2 years rent. Good example.
Was it a Big Gay Eviction Notice
They were always beyond kind and welcoming to me and my daughters after our dance class across the street. We would go every week and they would always be waiting with a smile and a bigger than we ordered ice cream cone. All you curmudgeons sound like you need a scoop of ice cream and a friend. We will miss them very much.