Blue Marble Ice Cream To Close Its Last Remaining Shop In Brooklyn

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — Beloved Brooklyn ice cream chain Blue Marble will shutter its last-standing brick-and-mortar shop in December, its founders announced in a heartfelt message Wednesday.

The location on Underhill Avenue near Sterling Place — Blue Marble's "little engine that could" — will serve its last scoop and mug on Dec. 24 after 15 strong years of challenges overcome and community gatherings.

"While we have made the decision to transition out of our brick-and-mortars, we remain strong," co-founders Jennie Dundas and Alexis Miesen said in a statement.

"It has been our honor to serve you all these years. We could have achieved nothing without you."

The belt-tightening on scoop shops was a necessary move to further Blue Marble's impact-minded mission — which involves a non-profit arm, local profit-sharing, ethical employment and bringing ice cream to those without, the founders said.

"Our commitment to the innovative vision of source-conscious, Earth-friendly, community-supportive ice cream is our proudest accomplishment thus far," Dundas and Miesen said.

Now, sweet-toothed Brooklynites will have to visit local stores and restaurants to get their Blue Marble fix. The loss of the last sugary refuge hit locals hard.

"I will miss Blue Marble so much. Underhill Av won’t be the same without this friendly, colorful little respite for coffee and ice cream and kids and dogs and the whole Prospect Heights community! Thanks for everything," said one patron on the ice cream brand's website.

The vibe of Blue Marble is currently unmatched by any institution, locals said despite founders saying local competition has grown in recent years.

"Coffee and chatter most mornings with friends catching up on the news, an afternoon affogato in the beautiful, quiet garden on a hot summer afternoon, delight on Friday morning as the store swarmed with toddlers jumping and clapping to live guitar music," said another local on Blue Marble's website.

"Will miss this unique, wonderful neighborhood place. Nothing like it around here."

Underhill Avenue's location opened in 2008, seven months after Blue Marble's first location on Atlantic Avenue. The chain would grow to serve scoops in Cobble Hill, Tribeca, the Upper West Side, Governor's Island — and as far-reaching as Rwanda and Haiti.

The woman-owned business has always prioritized remaining "small" and providing fair, well-paid employment and partnerships, Dundas and Miesen said in their statement.

"We have employed 550+ young people, served tens of millions of scoops, contributed millions to Fair Trade and organic small businesses across the globe, built a shop in Africa and one in Haiti, raised over $25,000 for Harlem-based Brotherhood Sister Sol... and survived sixteen years during arguably the hardest modern era in the toughest market in the world," the founders said.

The Underhill spot grew in 2014, and was renovated in 2017, hitting its strongest year ever in 2019, the founders said.

The pandemic in 2020 hit Blue Marble, and every other New York City business hard, but a devoted fan base helped the company survive.

By 2022 the struggle continued with increased labor costs and inflation, and 2023 has swallowed many a supermarket and ice cream chain, Dundas and Miesen.

"Don’t worry, you’ll still have Blue Marble in your lives!"