It was a two-and-a-half-year encore for Big Gay Ice Cream at 516 Columbus Avenue and West 85th Street. In March 2022, the original owners of the once-super-trendy brand, Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, were evicted from the location after just two years and plenty of fanfare.
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“The rent was way too high to make any money,” said Wladis, president of the TRG Restaurant Group. “You lose money for five months of the year, then make a couple of dollars the rest—so altogether, it’s a loser. And the landlord wasn’t willing to negotiate at all.”
Before Big Gay melted away, Wladis launched a make-your-own-donut shop called Rainbow Donuts in the same space in March 2023. With an array of toppings—drizzles, sprinkles, and icings—it offered a Willy Wonka-like experience. But the magic didn’t last.
“I hate losing the brand,” Wladis said of the shop’s closure.
When asked if relocating was an option, Wladis wasn’t optimistic. “All I really want to say is we evaluated it, and it just didn’t make any sense.” He added that there was no viable concept he could put together in the now-shuttered space that would make financial sense. However, he did not disclose how much he had been paying for the lease. “I talked with a couple of other people—not just my team, but others in the industry—and we all agreed.”
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“In 2009, when the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck first rolled into the annual Brooklyn Pride parade, it caught a wave of pop culture that included hits like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, and Orange Is the New Black, marking a national shift that culminated in the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015,” reported The New York Times in 2023. “It was all rainbows and unicorns for a while. But like many fun ideas, Big Gay Ice Cream has wound up in debt and in court.”
Founder and partner Doug Quint sued fellow Big Gay Ice Cream partner Jon Chapski, accusing him of mismanaging the company and fraudulently collecting government loans during the pandemic.
Big Gay Ice Cream now operates just two locations—one at Madison Square Garden and another at the South Street Seaport.
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Far fewer customers as well.
Landlords ruin everything
Maybe it’s a poorly run, seasonal business. Maybe people willing to pay $6 for soft serve is a bit of a niche. But no, as soon as I saw the line about the rent being too expensive I knew someone would immediately whine about landlords.
Are YOU a landlord? Because you certainly come off as one!
Exactly. Or enjoys shilling for landlords.
Nah, just enjoy needling the huge number of whiners in the comment sections.
Needs a little more honesty in this part of the column: “reviving beloved eateries”. I don’t agree in the use of the word revive is correct…. if anything, Fred’s was a lot better and friendlier than it is now….
I feel like places are constantly closing and nothing is opening in the 80’s.
Agree with Fred’s comment. Big Gay was not an attractive spot–to me a big negative.
I rather buy a ice cream container in Fairway, etc. compared to a small scoop in an ice cream shop.
Look around at all of the empty storefronts on the UWS. No one can afford to do business here anymore, unless they are okay with losing money and/or corporate. This sucks.
Go a block west to Amsterdam and you will find almost an ice cream place every block all the way to 77th St. There, you will find Ample Hills, Van Leeuwen, Amorino Gelato, Emack & Bolio’s and to the currently trending Salt & Straw. There is not a lack of choices for ice cream in the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, quite a dangerous part of the city for diabetics.
Also Gelateria Gentile just opened on Amsterdam & 84th. So much ice cream, so little time…
It was a good concept and a great name, but the truth is that their ice cream was not great. There are so many great ice cream options that it’s not surprising that they didn’t make enough money. On Amsterdam alone, there are several better options. Van Leeuwen and Salt & Straw are really excellent. Ample Hills and Gentile are good, too. Upper West Siders know good ice cream and gelato. I suspect that is why these four are successful and others are not. Though that doesn’t explain why Amorino is still open or why Grom closed.