Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Pays $33K Fine For Refusing Cash In NYC: City

NEW YORK CITY — Trouble has been churning in a cult favorite ice cream shop that now owes the city tens of thousands of dollars in fines, according to a scoop from city officials.

Brooklyn-favorite Van Leeuwen Ice Cream agreed to pay a $33,500 fine after dodging the city's ban on going cashless for nearly two years, the Consumer and Worker Protection department announced Thursday.

“Cash is king, which is why the Cashless Ban Law was passed to protect the unbanked and underbanked in our city,” said Mayor Eric Adams.

“We will not allow any business to take advantage of this vulnerable population or penalize customers just for wanting to use cash to pay for things.”

Read More: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Opens Park Slope Outpost

Van Leeuwen — the cult-favorite creamery best known for its made-from-scratch flavors — must now accept cash in its 19 New York City locations, according to the settlement.

Van Leeuwen's press office did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment, but this story will be updated upon receipt.

City officials have received more than 90 complaints that the ice cream company wouldn't take cash since the Cashless Ban Law — meant to curtail discrimination against more than 300,000 New York City households without access to a bank account — went into effect in November 2020, city officials said.

The Consumer Protection Department was preparing a court order to force the ice cream company to comply when Van Leeuwen finally agreed to take cash, officials said.

Officials noted the city received more complaints about Van Leeuwen than about any other city business.

“No New Yorker should be discriminated against because they can only — or want to — pay with cash,” said Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga.

“This is more than just an issue of compliance with the law, it’s also an issue of equity and treating all New Yorkers fairly.”