Big Gay Ice Cream at 450 Washington (the old Fika space) has closed permanently — thanks to T. for the heads up. I checked in with Coffee Project New York and they are still open and intend to remain open for the foreseeable future.

The Coffee Project manager for the location did say that the landlord is currently looking for another tenant to fill out the Big Gay space.

A quick neighborhood ice cream survey: we still have Downtown Yogurt, Van Leeuwen, Baskin Robbins,

Big Gay Ice Cream took that space in 2022 but did not open until February 2024. Over those years, the company was embroiled in a lawsuit, where one of the company’s founders sued his partner for “wrongful and unilateral failures” that “constitute gross negligence, bad faith, and willful misconduct, all while reaping the monetary benefits provided,” according to the suit.

Coffee Project opened there in spring 2024; the founders, Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh, are a married couple who quit their tech jobs and opened a coffee shop as a passion project in the East Village in 2015. They roast their own beans, sell wholesale and offer classes on all things coffee. The company’s Long Island City location includes a training campus for coffee professionals and enthusiasts.

The menu includes sandwiches and pastries and all the milk options, including a Deconstructed Latte with oat milk.

Coffee Project New York
450 Washington at Desbrosses
212-414-0222
Monday – Friday, 7a to 5:30p
Saturday – Sunday, 8a to 5:30p