A Maryland ice cream company known for churning out hundreds of rotating flavors has set its sights on Bethesda. Always Ice Cream is planning to open a shop at 5335 Westbard Avenue inside Westbard Square, with the location expected to debut next spring.
The news was first reported by Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row, who said the move would expand Always Ice Cream into Montgomery County. The shop would join a growing list of destinations inside the 23-acre Westbard Square development, which sits at Westbard Avenue and Ridgefield Road, according to MoCoShow.
Always Ice Cream has built its reputation on volume and variety. The company's own site says it keeps more than 250 handcrafted flavors on rotation, while the Store Reporter has described the lineup as 200-plus rotating flavors alongside soft serve, ice cream cakes, root beer floats, brownie sundaes and banana splits. Bethesda Magazine has separately reported that the company manufactures more than 250 flavors of ultra-premium ice cream out of its Edgewater, Maryland production facility.
A Family Business Expanding Beyond Annapolis
The chain traces back to the Cohen family, which purchased Annapolis Ice Cream Company in 2019, the Store Reporter notes. Always Ice Cream describes itself as a true old-fashioned ice cream parlor with a modern spin, and the company says it rolls out new flavors almost every week, per that same report.
Exactly how large the chain has grown depends on who's counting. Bethesda Magazine reported in July that the company had grown to eight brick-and-mortar shops, all in Maryland, plus an ice cream truck, while The Baltimore Sun reported in June that the chain had nine locations in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City. Either way, the Westbard Square shop would mark fresh territory for a business that has, until now, stayed rooted around the Annapolis area.
Montgomery County Already on the Menu
Westbard Square wouldn't be the company's first swing at Montgomery County. Always Ice Cream has also been planning a shop at Pike & Rose in Rockville, at 11802 Rockville Pike, which the Store Reporter described as the chain's first Montgomery County location when it was announced, tucked between Chipotle and Visionworks. Bethesda Magazine later reported that the Pike & Rose spot would be the company's ninth shop, aiming for a fall launch, while MoCoShow reported in October that the location, set in the former PetWellClinic space, was targeting a late-November opening.
The company has also picked up some national attention along the way. MoCoShow reported that Always Ice Cream was named the No. 1 ice cream shop in the country by Fodor's Travel, and the outlet noted the chain has collected Best Ice Cream and Best Dessert honors from publications including What's Up Magazine, the Capital Gazette, The Baltimore Sun and Severna Park Voice.
What's Already Open at Westbard Square
Westbard Square itself is still taking shape. The redevelopment is planned to eventually include 148,000 square feet of retail, according to MoCoShow, with the full project expected to be complete by 2027. Businesses already open in the center include Bowlero, Kumon Math & Reading Center, a Citgo gas station, a new Giant Food store, Voorthuis Opticians and Westbard Barber Shop, per the same outlet's reporting.
No exact opening date, storefront size or menu details for the Westbard Square shop have been released. For now, Bethesda residents looking for a scoop will have to wait for spring — and possibly get a preview this fall if the Pike & Rose location opens as planned.
