{"id":569423,"date":"2026-02-06T01:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T01:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/569423\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T01:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T01:54:12","slug":"ice-cream-for-breakfast-day-is-saturday-these-philly-shops-will-start-you-off-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/569423\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is Saturday \u2014 these Philly shops will start you off right"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breakfast may be the \u201cmost important\u201d meal of the day, but that doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t also be the most fun. This Saturday, ice cream shops<\/a> around the city are opening early to participate in Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The informal holiday was invented by a mother of six. According to lore, on a cold and boring February morning in 1966, a mom from Rochester, New York, came up with the idea to bring some much-needed levity to her kids\u2019 day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those kids grew up and carried their family tradition forward. And now, it\u2019s an annual event, taking place on the first Saturday of every February.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the day we look forward to every year from start to finish \u2014 from conceptualizing the flavors and creating them all the way to the day itself,\u201d said Amy Wilson, CEO and creative director at Milk Jawn<\/a> in South Philly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually have a line waiting,\u201d she said. \u201cWe open at 9 a.m. for our Ice Cream for Breakfast Day \u2026. We have families that come back every year. They kind of plan the day around it. It\u2019s become a tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is Milk Jawns\u2019 fourth year celebrating the day at their East Passyunk shop. Even when temps have fallen into the single digits, Wilson said, customers show up. This year\u2019s flavor lineup is completely kids\u2019 cereal themed. Think Corn Pops, Cap\u2019n Crunch and Lucky Charms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Cookie Crisp sundae,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a sweet-cream ice cream that we swirled with a malted fudge, and then we added toasted Cookie Crisp cereal with brown sugar, and added that in. That one is \u2014 oh my God, my favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynne Haase, supervisor of the Parkway Central Library<\/a>\u2018s children\u2019s department, said that the global holiday is also quite popular there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year we had, I think, 450 people here,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was such a big hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While the Free Library will not have a lineup of inventive breakfast-themed flavors like Milk Jawn, they will be throwing an Ice Cream for Breakfast party with live music and an ice cream truck. Local kids\u2019 band Ants on a Log<\/a> will perform along with drag queen Eric Jaffe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re going to have an ice cream truck,\u201d she said. \u201cSo everybody will get a free scoop of ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ice cream shops Weckerly\u2019s<\/a> and Malai<\/a> are both featuring a French toast-themed ice cream treat as one of their breakfast specials. Ice cream enthusiasts can head to Weckerly\u2019s in Rittenhouse and then walk a block down Spruce to try Malai\u2019s take.<\/p>\n

The former is leaning into a classic brioche vibe with maple syrup-soaked pieces and swirled with triple berry jam. The latter is going outside the box with actual French toast made with orange-fennel ice cream and topped with coffee cardamom ice cream. Coffee-infused maple syrup is drizzled on top.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Malai will be serving French toast topped with ice cream this weekend. (Photo by Malai)<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think that people are always looking for this \u2014 a joyful moment when it\u2019s totally and completely unexpected, especially from your ice cream shop at breakfast,\u201d Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Malai, said.<\/p>\n

As the new kid on the block, Bavishi is excited to bring something a bit different to the Philadelphia lineup. The store, which features spiced South Asian flavors, began in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve loved our customer base in Philadelphia. They\u2019ve been so amazing, so loyal. They show up in a way that makes us so excited,\u201d Bavishi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re anything like me, I\u2019m just itching to get out, to find fun things to do,\u201d she added. \u201cJust because it has been so cold and so miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cristina Torres, Weckerly\u2019s owner, hopes that die-hard ice cream lovers will come out no matter the weather. Still, if customers are really hesitant to double up on exposure to the cold, she noted that Weckerly\u2019s also serves coffee for those who need a hot pick-me-up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Rittenhouse location does have a full coffee service,\u201d she said. \u201cSo we\u2019ll have lattes, cappuccinos and all of that available. We\u2019re also doing dollar drip coffees for people to come in and sort of warm up while they\u2019re enjoying the ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Ice cream flavors at Weckerly\u2019s include homemade Honey Bunches of Oats, brioche French toast and coffee & cake. They will be available throughout the month. (Photo by Cristina Torres)<\/p>\n

Unlike Valentine\u2019s Day, February\u2019s biggest commercial holiday, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is a low-key, low-pressure event all about doing something outside of your routine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe forget that, you know, we\u2019re all still little kids inside,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n

While a frozen treat may seem counterintuitive in sub-frozen weather, Haase said she believes the informal holiday is exactly what Philadelphians need right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weather hasn\u2019t been good. I don\u2019t know how long it has been since we\u2019ve had a day above freezing. People are feeling down about things that are happening in our country and even in our city. And, you know, it\u2019s hard not to let these things get to you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to put a smile on everybody\u2019s faces. That\u2019s what it should all be about \u2014 just a way to gather in the community, especially right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

For full flavor lineups, schedules and hours, visit the shops\u2019 Instagrams and websites.<\/p>\n

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