How’s this for a news scoop?
Beloved ice-cream institution Haagen-Dazs is dishing up free frozen desserts at its stores nationwide today, but visitors to the Brooklyn Heights parlor — the original Haagen Dazs store, and still the best — are in for a real treat, as they will also get to feast their eyes on the 40-year old emporium’s new look.
The iconic outpost just reopened with a completely new interior after four-and-a-half weeks under the knife, and its owner says the timing couldn’t be better.
“We opened a week ago, so it’s very fortuitous,” said Michael Schuster.
Fans can pick up a kiddie scoop of any flavor they like between 4 pm and 8 pm, Schuster said, though he recommends trying out one of the company’s newest offerings — tangerine swirl with shortbread cookies.
“It’s really, really shockingly good,” said Schuster, whose personal favorite is vanilla almond.
But cone heads won’t just get a gut full free ice cream and an eyeful of the new digs, they may also get to meet the company’s big cheese — president Adam Hanson — who will be serving up scoops from behind the counter.
Company honchos usually “fan out” to stores across the country for the free cone day, Schuster said, and he was thrilled when the most important man in ice cream opted to come and check out the makeover.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I had a feeling this could happen. He’s a lot of fun to work with.”
Schuster, a Sheepshead Bay native, is one of the longest serving Haagen Dazs store owners around. He says he has gone through around eight or nine of the parlors over the years, but running and renovating the Montague Street outpost — which he took over last August — is a career highlight.
“Taking over this store was a nice cap in my career,” he said. “I get the first store, I get to renovate it.”
Free cone day at Haagen–Dazs [120 Montague St. between Hicks and Henry streets in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 797–3700], May 10 from 4 pm to 8 pm. Offer gets you a free kiddie-sized scoop in a cup, sugar cone, or cake cone.
