Why is Ice Cream So Expensive?
You need a loan for a cone!
Welcome to SweetStreets where I’ll be reporting on New York City’s sweets scene—Gotham’s vast array of cakes, pies, candy, and ice creams. I’ll reveal where to find great sweets shops, products, and purveyors. There will be a mix of reporting, interviews, link roundups, and the occasional recipe. There will also be looks back at NYC’s sweets culinary history.
Let’s start with everyone’s favorite summertime treat—ice cream! A while back, I authored Ice Cream: A Global History, which explores the frozen stuff’s fascinating history.
So you could say I’m a bit of an ice cream expert.
But what’s with the price of today’s ice cream, which seems to have soared to staggering heights? For example, at my local Van Leeuwen’s, which crafts a vegan ice cream I crave (Yes, I’m a lactose intolerant ice cream author), a single scoop will set you back more than eight dollars, including tax.
The other night, when my husband crossed Broadway with his Van Leeuwen’s cone in hand, a woman passing him quipped, “What’s that ice cream made of, gold?”
My husband laughed and kept on eating.
I don’t mean to pick on Van Leeuwen. Other premium brands also charge high prices. And so do some ice cream trucks. A couple of weekends ago, a van parked near Central Park demanded ten bucks for a cone! Yes, Central Park is a tourist area. Nevertheless, that’s a lot for ice cream truck product. (Once you’re inside the park, you can do better on price)
New York is not alone when it comes to ice cream sticker shock. Nationwide, the cost of a cone at $6.02 is scaling new heights at the same time as ice cream consumption is falling. In fact, Americans are downing 20 percent less ice cream per year than they did at the start of the millennium, according to Statista.
Today’s luxury prices are a far cry from costs incurred during the 19th century, when Hokey Pokey ice cream vendors sold their wares on city streets for a mere penny.
Of course, you can always buy a pint of icy deliciousness at your local market and make a cone at home. This usually costs less than purchasing one from a purveyor.
And for those who need a lesson on how to eat an ice cream cone, don’t miss this New Yorker essay on the art of avoiding the drip.
In case you were wondering, here are America’s favorite flavors, says the International Dairy Foods Association.
Vanilla
Chocolate
Strawberry
Butter Pecan
Cookie Dough
Cookies and Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip
Rocky Road
Peanut Butter/PB Cup
What’s your local ice cream shop charging? And is the taste of frosty deliciousness worth the price?