OddFellows Ice Cream coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park

December 5, 2019 Mary Frost

OddFellows Ice Cream Co. will be bringing its iced delights to Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Shown above is their Water Street shop in DUMBO. Photo: Mary Frost/Brooklyn Eagle

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An ice cream shop that serves up hundreds of eclectic flavors has been chosen to operate a food and beverage concession at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, adjacent to sports fields and the picnic area.

OddFellows Ice Cream Co. beat out five other competitors to land the Pier 5 concession site, which was left vacant by Ample Hills Creamery, another ice cream vendor. Ample Hills moved its shop north to the Historic Fireboat Station at Fulton Ferry Landing, displacing Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory — which in turn opened a stand across the street.

OddFellows was founded in Williamsburg 2013 by Sam Mason, Holiday Kumar and Mohan Kumar. They currently have six locations.

The artisanal creamery whips up its products in small batches in a Brooklyn factory. The flavors change from day to day — and sometimes even from afternoon to evening.

Their Williamsburg shop on Wednesday was selling, for at least part of the day, flavors including Burnt Marshmallow, Pistachio Cardamom Caramel, Malt Maitake Peanut, Tea & Scones and Eclipse Miso Cherry.

At their DUMBO outlet on Water Street, OddFellows features a happy hour, with beer, wine and cider on the beverage menu.

Proposals for the concession site came due on Oct. 28. According to the park board’s report, OddFellows won based on its “competitive financial offer, operating experience, financial capability, and the high quality and suitability of its planned operation.” The initial term will be for 10 years, with one three-year renewal option.

“We were impressed with OddFellows’ proposal and their cultural ethos,” Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation President Eric Landau said. “When we met with them we felt that they understood the park, understood operating in the park, and have a good product.”

Vice-chair Joanne Witty said she liked that the company has “vegan and other non-traditional forms of ice cream.”

The plan is for OddFellows to be open for the upcoming season, park spokesperson Sarah Krauss told the Brooklyn Eagle.

OddFellows will be paying $45,000 rent with a 3.5 percent escalation per year, or 10 percent of gross receipts, whichever is higher.

Ice cream has been successful at the Pier 5 location, Landau said, pointing out that Ample Hills did well there before moving to the Fireboat Station.