Heights residents are in for a cooler stroll along the trail: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is planning a new scoop shop at The Swift BLDG, which would mark the brand’s fourth Houston location. A state registration for the build-out pegs the storefront at 621 Waverly Street, Suite 154, and lists franchisee Mike McGrath as the tenant. Construction is set to kick off in June with a target wrap-up in early September, putting the shop on track for a late 2026 opening.
Permit confirms location and timeline
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project registration identifies a "Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Shop" at 621 Waverly Street, Suite 154, with a June 1, 2026 start date and a Sept. 1, 2026 completion date for the tenant build-out. The filing puts the work at roughly 1,287 square feet with an estimated cost of $300,000 and lists Mike McGrath as the tenant contact, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The Swift BLDG's makeover
The Swift is an adaptive reuse of the former Swift & Co. packing plant at 621 Waverly, transforming the property into roughly 60,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and small offices in a project led by Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate. Developers have pitched the complex as a trailfront neighborhood hub with patios and new greenspace along the Heights Hike & Bike Trail, and leasing has been active as renovation work moves forward, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. That kind of steady tenant mix helps explain why a scoop shop fits neatly into the plan for patio traffic and post-walk treats.
Van Leeuwen's Texas footprint
Van Leeuwen started as a yellow scoop truck rolling around New York City in 2008 and has since grown into a national scoop shop brand. Its site currently lists multiple Texas locations, including shops in Rice Village, Uptown Park, and at Montrose Collective in Houston. The chain is known for French-style dairy ice cream along with a sizeable vegan lineup that Houston customers have already been working their way through. The brand’s multi-state footprint, including its Texas shops, is laid out on Van Leeuwen.
Fourth Houston outpost
The Swift location would follow Van Leeuwen’s most recent Houston opening at Radom Capital’s Montrose Collective, an expansion that local coverage flagged at the time as part of the area’s growing dessert and snack scene. That earlier move helped cement Van Leeuwen’s presence in the city and sets up the Heights storefront as the next logical step, according to reporting by Eater Houston.
What to expect inside
A press release quoted by What Now Houston says the Heights shop will "embrace historical elements," keeping original concrete floors, large industrial columns, and an exposed ceiling. The piece also notes a roughly 1,300 square foot build-out and reports that franchisee Mike McGrath confirmed the lease but declined to share additional details at the time.
What it means for the Heights
For the neighborhood, adding a nationally known scoop shop fits squarely into the Swift’s strategy of modest, pedestrian-focused tenants that help activate the trail side. It gives Heights residents and Hike & Bike Trail users another reason to peel off for a break. With a focus on preserving historic character while lining patios with restaurants and shops, Van Leeuwen’s planned storefront appears to slot neatly into the project’s goal of building a neighborhood hub, as the Houston Chronicle reported.
