Leona’s ice cream to open scoop shop in Lawrenceville

Ice cream wholesaler Leona’s is moving into the brick-and-mortar world and is set to open a scoop shop in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood next year.

Co-owner Katie Heldstab said Leona’s has agreed on a spot inside the soon-to-be-complete Lawrence Hall on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. She said the location is perfect because the hall will host other small businesses and a bar inside the large space.

Heldstab co-owns the business with her wife Christa, and Leona’s has been selling premium lactose-free ice cream in pints and cookie ice cream sandwiches for over 10 years. She said when the Lawrence Hall opportunity presented itself, she knew it was right because she would be working with other small businesses and could share costs on overhead with the food hall location.

“We always wanted to do a scoop shop, we just didn’t have the right opportunity,” said Heldstab. “Now we have the right location, the right opportunity and the right timing.”

Leona’s will sell scoops and sundaes out of the space, and eventually offer pints and ice cream sandwiches.

Leona’s scoop shop is set to open sometime in Spring 2024 when Lawrence Hall is completed, said Heldstab. The food hall will host four vendors and an in-house bar at 4609 Butler St.

Lawrence Hall co-owner Brett Minarik said construction is coming along, and he is thrilled to have Leona’s join other vendors at the hall.

“Katie and Christa have built a beloved and enduring brand and we are honored to be a part of their exciting next chapter,” said Minarik. “People might want to get in line now!”

Guests at Leona’s future scoop shop will be able to order both inside the food hall as part of their dining experience and outside at a walk-up window.

As part of its foray into a storefront, Leona’s has also started a crowdfunding effort in order to fundraise for new fridges needed for their expansion, said Heldstab.

She said Leona’s is at freezer capacity with the wholesale business, which distributes to grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants across the region. Heldstab said the type of high-tech flash freezers are pricey, so she is hoping the Pittsburgh community will provide some support.

“When we think about it, Pittsburgh really built our company,” she said of Leona’s longevity and struggle through the pandemic. “Without the community support we have had, we wouldn’t be here.“

Leona’s crowdfunding effort had raised over $16,000 as of Friday.