Ooeyer, Gooeyer, And Better Than Ever: Brooklyn's Ample Hills Is Back

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — Ample Hills co-owners Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna have learned a lot since their beloved ice cream chain went bankrupt in 2020.

They learned that blending mix-ins, rather than straining, can make for a deeper flavor and richer texture — and they learned that using glucose can give the ice cream more body.

They learned that the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake flavor could, in fact, get Ooey-er and Gooey-er.

But most importantly, they learned to never lose sight of Ample Hills' core principle: good ice cream.

"We won't take our eye off of focusing on the quality of the ice cream, first and foremost," said Smith, who spent most of opening day making ice cream.

Ample Hills' Prospect Heights location on Vanderbilt Avenue reopened Wednesday, joined by a team of workers from former Ample Hills locations and patrons who have been with the ice cream savants since they first served their flavors out of a cart in Prospect Park.

"It's really humbling to experience people's belief in the brand and in us to come back," Smith said.

The ice cream shop had a meteoric rise after its 2011 opening, garnering support from Oprah and Disney, but ultimately shuttered its 13 locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2020, according New York Times reported and owners.

Smith and Cuscuna credit the downfall to growing too fast, and losing sight of their sweet, Brooklyn roots — the name of the ice cream shop itself is a reference to Brooklyn from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," which reads: "I too lived, Brooklyn of ample hills was mine."

"We know not everyone gets a second chance after making some big mistakes. We are humbled and honored to come back and we will work with love and passion to make it right this time around," the owners said in an Instagram post.

Happy diners have their pick at 24 flavors, including originals and fan-favorites like Peppermint Pattie, Salted Crack Caramel and an ice cream infused with butter croissant and raspberry jam. The menu features some flavors from their second Prospect Heights venture, The Social, which opened in 2021 on Washington Avenue.

"Brian is obsessed — and I mean absolutely obsessed — with making better ice cream today than he did yesterday," Cuscuna said.

"Ice cream flavors can tell stories," Smith said.

The ice cream matches the store's playful vibes, with chalkboards decorated by their 16-year-old daughter, bright chairs and booths, collaged graphic table-tops and a kids corner with a Brooklyn-inspired mural.

"We're making playful, whimsical, fun, wacky flavors that are aimed at kids and more importantly adults with kids inside of them," Smith said.

Smith and Cuscuna have plans to reopen only the Upper West Side, Astoria and Industry City locations, allowing them to really focus and listen to their customers.

"There's a vibe, a mood, a feeling, a depth to the brand and its connection to Brooklyn," Smith said. "People have responded to it from the very beginning."