New York City's Big Gay Ice Cream is heading to Los Angeles. The LA Times brought first word of the BGIC expansion, and this afternoon co-founder Douglas Quint (who, along with Bryan Petroff, started the brand as a roving ice cream truck) confirms the first-ever California outpost. It will be located near the just-opened Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. "People keep saying, 'Why are you going to LA? People in LA don't eat,'" Quint says. "And that's complete and utter bullshit. We've eaten at a lot of restaurants here… and we know LA has a pretty darn good palate. And that's not exclusive to fat-free stuff, at all."
According to Quint, the 1,500-square-foot location — one block away from the Ace on what Eater LA calls "the hottest block in downtown" — is larger than both NYC scoop shops, with plans for a first-floor ice cream parlor and a downstairs production space. The expansion will also see a full-time Big Gay ice cream truck hit the streets of Los Angeles, after two LA "pop-up" trucks proved successful last year. "I love doing the ice cream truck most of all," Quint says, "and it's a much easier scene in southern California than in New York."
As for the menu, expect BGIC classics like the the Salty Pimp and Bea Arthur, plus some LA-specific items. "We're transferring our menu out here for sure, but we like for each shop to have its own character, and that's usually reflected in the menu," Quint says. "So, we do have some ideas about specific things that will happen out here — a lot of it involves the constant availability of fresh fruit. Other than that, we'll keep most of our stuff from home. We're never going to open a store without hot fudge." Big Gay Ice Cream LA is aiming for a Spring 2014 opening.
· Big Gay Ice Cream to Open First LA Shop Downtown [LAT]
· All Big Gay Ice Cream Coverage on Eater [-E-]