What to Know
- An ice cream shop for dogs and human has opened in Bushwick
- Ollie's Ice Cream and Stuff serves specially-made ice cream for pooches, and a range of treats for their two-legged companions, too
- The ice cream shop opened June 1, and said it sold out of cones its first day
A new ice cream shop has opened in Bushwick that serves both humans and their canine companions.
Ollie’s Ice Cream and Stuff celebrated its opening last Saturday, June 1. For the humans, the shop offers a range of flavors, from the classic vanilla and chocolate to the more popular and adventurous “bread and roses.” For the dogs, a peanut butter flavored frozen concoction made of sweet potato or pumpkin puree, bananas, and peanut butter, cheekily named “Peanut Butter Pumpkin Butt.”
Many customers came to Ollie’s specifically for the novel experience of enjoying a scoop of ice cream with their pet. One woman brought in her French bulldog, Arthur. “It’s his first time trying ice cream” she explained. “I love this idea.”
The store’s owner, Eric Kyriakopoulos, decided to open an ice cream shop after noticing the area surrounding Irving Ave, where Ollie’s Ice Cream is located, was full of bars and “not enough happier places like ice cream and dessert spots.” As for the dog angle, Kyriakopoulos was inspired by his foster dogs and his own dog Sunny, to start making canine ice cream. “I ended up making some dog ice cream one night, and he liked it. That was that.”
Though Kyriakopoulos plans to keep the shop small and local, Ollie’s Ice Cream and Stuff, with its artsy décor, red neon signs and vegan and artisanal flavors, generates concerns on the increasing gentrification of Bushwick. But Kyriakopoulos sees ice cream as a democratizing, not a dividing, force. “I appreciate this area and I appreciate everyone that lives here…Ice cream is affordable for everyone and I think it’s something that is needed in this area.”
The neighborhood seems to appreciate Ollie’s Ice Cream as well. Kyriakopoulos sold out multiple flavors on opening day, and many thanked him for opening an ice cream shop in Bushwick, he said.
Local
Outside, Arthur the French bulldog and a tiny Chihuahua mix sit together to enjoy their ice cream. A third dog comes to join them with his own puppy cup. The dogs’ owners stand above their pups, supervising the doggy ice cream party.
