Levain Bakery is scooping up summer traffic with ice cream collaborations 

In the first two weeks of June, roughly one in seven in-store transactions included an ice cream SKU. Additionally, after-dinner orders, those placed at 6 p.m. or later, now account for 34% of total daily orders, compared with 31% before the ice cream launch. Interestingly, secondary markets like Boston and Chicago have been top performers in ice cream sales.

Identifying a market gap for baked goods

Lorna Sommerville, CCO of Levain, told Modern Retail that the inspiration for the ice cream program can be traced back to Levain’s early operational days of the late ‘90s. That’s when founders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald noticed a dip in foot traffic during the peak summer months, when many customers fled town. That also led to the opening of Levain’s Winscott location in the Hamptons in 2000.

“People don’t necessarily want a soft, warm cookie on a hot summer day,” Somerville said, so the season has historically brought in softer sales for Levain Bakery. “So we thought, ‘How could we bring more people into the bakeries in the summer?”

Levain first tested ice cream sandwiches when it opened its Upper East Side location in 2019. “People lost their minds for them, even though we only did them for a couple of hours a day,” she said. But at the time, the growing bakery chain’s operations could not support a full ice cream program. 

Somerville said integrating ice cream into Levain’s baking operation is quite complicated, as it requires an additional supply chain and additional staff training to create the products. So when Levain decided to test ice cream sandwiches last summer, the team wanted to apply a localized approach by partnering with ice cream shops in each market.

“One of the reasons is that we just wanted really great ice cream that met the bar of our cookies,” Sommerville said. Moreover, she said, maintaining a neighborhood bakery atmosphere has been one of Levain’s secrets to sustained growth since it opened in 1995.

“Partnering with someone local that understands that neighborhood helps us resonate with those customers in a way a white-label ice cream wouldn’t,” Sommerville said.

In New York City, for example, Levain has partnered with cult favorite ice cream shop Caffè Panna. “People got really excited about these two New York City brands coming together,” she said.

Sommerville said the partnership has also led to organic social media buzz, with people posting about the Levain collab as a hack to avoid the long waits at Caffè Panna.

The collaborations are also helping boost the brand awareness of Levain’s ice cream partners, including Caffè Panna.

Caffè Panna founder Hallie Meyer said the collaboration is resonating with customers who want to experience the respective brands’ beloved cookies and ice cream together.  “Levain is one of our favorite classic New York City brands, and we’re honored to have our product à la mode on their iconic cookies,” she said.

How ice cream has shifted Levain’s marketing tactics  

Somerville said one of the biggest takeaways from last year’s test run was customers wanting more options, hence the expansion to mini sandwiches and affogato for those looking for something sweet with their coffee. Sommerville said the affogato introduced a coffee-focused option into the mix, bringing more interest to the ice-cream program throughout the day.

This new set of offerings also meant adapting the marketing strategy to bring more attention to the ice cream.

Unlike Levain’s classic cookies, which helped the company build a following over the past 30 years and expand its e-commerce business, ice cream is offered exclusively at the bakeries. Somerville said that about 75% of Levain’s sales still come from in-person transactions at its locations, which makes the investment in an ice cream menu worthwhile.

Somerville said this logistics limitation has become a marketing tool to promote Levain’s shops during its slow months. That includes content creation across social media to spread awareness about the ice cream.

Throughout the summer, Levain is partnering with media members and influencers to taste the ice cream at its bakeries and create content. “You can’t ship ice cream, so you have to get everyone to come in,” Somerville said. The result is often an “ice cream social” format, in which creators visit with family and friends to see how the product is made and share it with their followers.  

Somerville said the ice cream is also creating more opportunities for organic marketing moments, which Levain hopes to continue capitalizing on. 

“We had a big moment last week with the Knicks’ win and the parade,” Somerville said. Levain offered free ice cream with purchase at its New York City bakeries, which led to an influx of customers on parade day. 

“It was a nice opportunity for us to drive awareness that we have ice cream,” Somerville said. “And we also wanted to participate in the celebration.” The promotional offer likely also helped drive trial among visitors, as Levain does not usually discount its products. “It was especially great because our bakeries are not on the parade routes, so we gave people a reason to pop by.”