Made in America: David Muir visits Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop and taste tests flavors
As ABC News' "World News Tonight" celebrates small businesses across the country in its Made in America Christmas series, anchor and managing editor David Muir visited one of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream's shops in New York City to taste test the many American-made flavors churning this holiday season.
Just a short stroll from ABC News Headquarters in New York City, Muir stopped by Van Leeuwen Ice Cream's SoHo location to experience the magic behind the sweet treat. Upon entering the shop, he was greeted by co-founders Ben Van Leeuwen, Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O'Neill.
In 2008, the trio began their ice cream journey when they bought an old United States Postal Service truck and sold ice cream the old-fashioned way -- through the truck's window on the New York City streets.
As Van Leeuwen Ice Cream business grew, so did the number of trucks. In 2010, they opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in Brooklyn's Greenpoint -- the neighborhood they lived in at the time.
Now, they have more than 100 Van Leeuwen ice cream shops all over America and ship nationwide.
The shops rely on farmers from coast to coast to provide milk and eggs, and ingredients are sourced from all over the U.S. as well.
"Our Totem strawberries, they come from Oregon," Pete Van Leeuwen told Muir in the SoHo shop. "I don't know [if] I've never tasted a better strawberry than those -- the ones we get to use in our strawberry ice cream."
"Flavors Made in America, but out of this world," Muir said.
From classics like mint chip and cookies & cream, to unique tastes like mango sticky rice and Earl Grey tea, Muir tried them all -- and there's a flavor for everyone.
"It's a very tough job, but somebody's got to do it," he joked about his taste-testing experience.
When it comes to the ice cream itself, Ben Van Leeuwen revealed their "simple" secret.
"Use a lot of cream, use a lot of eggs, and it's fine-grade ingredients," he said.
While savoring the taste of every flavor in the shop, Muir couldn't help but notice how perfect each scoop looked -- a shape Ben Van Leeuwen credited to the American-made Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop.
"It's all we use," Ben Van Leeuwen said of the scoop, adding that it's "a marvel of industrial design."
To see the work behind the scooper up close, "World News Tonight" traveled to Zeroll's factory in Avondale, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.
Founded in 1935, Zeroll employs more than 50 workers in the factory.
"Anytime you see it being used at places where you know lots of people are enjoying it. ... you're proud that it's a quality product," Steve Moore, CEO of Zeroll owner The Legacy Companies, said.
Senior Mechanical Engineer Terry Hall, who's been on the line for 34 years, talked about how the ice cream scoop warms the ice cream to create the ideal scoop, every time.
"We actually fill it with an oil, Hall said. "When you put your hand on it, it actually warms down through the scoop."
"So even the hardest ice cream, it just scoops it right out," he added.
Steven Lasker, The Legacy Company's vice president of business operations, weighed in on the importance of creating the ice cream scoopers in Pennsylvania.
"Anything that we can make in America is something we're really proud of," Lasker said. "It's a special group here that's been around for a long time."
Together, American-made Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Zeroll's Made in America scoops make for a very sweet idea to gift someone with a sweet tooth this holiday season.
