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Morgenstern’s, the cult-favorite ice cream shop known for flavors that range from straight-up nostalgic to what-the-heck bold, is serving its last cones at its Greenwich Village flagship on October 12.
The closure of the Houston Street shop marks the end of an era for the retro-chic parlor that’s been as much a hangout as a dessert destination. Owner Nick Morgenstern first opened on the Lower East Side in 2014, then expanded to the Houston Street flagship in 2018, where he went big with 80-plus flavors scooped from five stations—everything from cookies and cream to pineapple salted egg yolk, the kind of flavor curveball only he could dream up.
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The reason for the curtain call? Not a lack of fans. Morgenstern told Eater the decision was tied to lease and property management issues that date back to pandemic-era concessions. “I have a very good relationship with my landlord,” he said. “The timing is the right time for all parties.”
But the end of the Houston Street shop doesn’t mean the end of Morgenstern’s. The ice cream maker, who trained as a pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern and Daniel, is keeping the brand alive through Morgenstern’s Bananas, the soft-serve spin-off on Rivington Street, as well as online sales of pints, cakes and merch. “I love making ice cream and if all goes well, I will keep doing it,” he said.
Fans looking to scoop up one last taste before the flagship goes dark can expect a greatest-hits lineup in its final days. Morgenstern himself picked the shop’s best sellers to take a bow: classic cookies and cream alongside the wild-card pineapple salted egg yolk. “Those two sum up the identity of Morgenstern’s very well: an American classic and something truly unexpected,” he explained.
Even as he looks forward, Morgenstern is quick to credit the people who made his shop a success. “Morgenstern’s exists because people in New York are willing to come out and rain or shine and eat a scoop of our ice cream. It’s a special thing here,” he said.
If you’ve ever posted up on a Houston Street bench with a cone of burnt honey vanilla or durian banana, now’s the time for one last lick. The flagship may melt away, but Morgenstern’s cult flavors will live on.