Two of the city’s beloved frozen dessert makers — Weckerly’s Ice Cream in Fishtown and Lil Pop Shop in West Philly — will close their doors for good in December.
In posts on their Instagram pages Monday, the two businesses thanked their supporters and announced they’ll be winding down operations ahead of the new year. Weckerly’s will close its shop Dec. 23 and Lil Pop Shop’s store will shut down Dec. 2.
The two companies had formed a partnership during the pandemic and carried some of each other’s desserts at their respective shops.
Weckerly’s owners Jen and Andy Satinsky opened their storefront in 2012. They initially operated the micro-creamery at a small space in West Philly, then later out of the repurposed Globe Dye Works textile plant in North Philly at 9 W. Girard Ave. The business uses ingredients from local farms and has built a reputation as one of Philly’s most creative ice cream shops.
Among Weckerly’s more ingenious offerings was an ice cream hoagie — two scoops of ice cream, sundae toppings, cherry sauce and marshmallow fluff on a sweetened milk bread roll. Weckerly’s also made some memorable Halloween concoctions over the years and occasionally collaborated with Philly chefs on ice cream sandwiches to benefit Philadelphia schools.
The owners shared their gratitude for everyone who has helped the business over the years, from customers and employees to suppliers and neighbors.
“You haven’t just supported us, you’ve inspired new flavors, pushed our creativity, and been an inseparable part of Weckerly’s Ice Cream,” the owners said.
The shop plans to roll out new flavors and bring back crowd favorites over the next six weeks. The Satinskys said they “might get a little crazy” with their flavor experiments and are happy to take requests from customers.
Lil Pop Shop, founded in 2012 by the California-native Jeanne Chang, specializes in flavored ice pops, bars and pies made without any dyes or artificial ingredients. The shop at 265 S. 44th St. also has a catering service, Popalong, that will continue to operate next spring after taking a break in the winter. The business is still taking pre-orders for Thanksgiving pies and will bring its truck pop-up to various neighborhoods before the business closes.
“It’s been such a pleasure to get to know and work alongside the folks making pops and everyone serving them at the shop or in the truck,” Chang said on Instagram. “Deep thanks to the (Weckerly’s) crew for their thoughtful partnership the last several years, making this work more joyful through collaboration.”