Ample Hills Creamery to Reopen Astoria Store Thursday
Ample Hills Creamery in Astoria (QueensPost)
July 22, 2020 By Christian Murray
Ample Hills Creamery, the popular ice cream purveyor, is reopening its Astoria store Thursday after its exit from bankruptcy.
The company is reopening two other stores tomorrow—one in Prospect Heights and the other in Chelsea. The openings represent the first steps taken by Schmitt Industries, an Oregon-based company that acquired the bankrupt creamery in June.
The creamery, founded by the husband-and-wife duo of Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna, was established in 2010 and quickly grew to operate out of 13 locations. The couple filed for bankruptcy protection in March after experiencing financial difficulties.
The couple left the company following the June sale to Schmitt Industries.
“It is with deep sadness that Brian [Smith] and I have made the painful decision to move on from Ample Hills,” wrote Jackie Cuscuna in a post on company’s Instagram page on July 6.
Ample Hills in now in the process of reopening nine locations—including the three tomorrow– in coming weeks. It will also reopen its Red Hook factory.
The company plans to rehire all 200 employees, a spokesperson for the creamery said.
The 34-02 30th Ave. location will reopen Thursday and will operate between Monday – Thursday from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 1 p.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. – 9 p.m.
The debate over the sale of wine in New York grocery stores remains contentious, with the New York State of Wine coalition and the National Supermarket Association (NSA) defending a Siena College Research Institute poll suggesting widespread public support for the change.
Mayor Eric Adams marked the fifth anniversary of the first confirmed COVID-19 death in the five boroughs of New York City by visiting NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and paying tribute to city healthcare workers, first responders, essential workers, and the 46,000 New Yorkers who lost their lives during the pandemic.
The habitual criminal from Brooklyn who was busted on Friday, March 7, for slugging a pregnant woman in the face while she rode a J train in Jamaica last month was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Saturday.
Christopher Benitez, 33, of Throop Avenue in Williamsburg, was criminally charged with assault and harassment for the unprovoked attack of a 37-year-old woman.
LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City is offering two tuition-free training programs aimed at equipping New Yorkers with essential skills for careers in healthcare finance and operations and supporting individuals seeking to complete their General Educational Development (GED) tests.
Northwest Queens saw a surge in real estate activity in February 2025, with prices rising across the board—but the most striking shift was the listing inventory, which more than doubled compared to the same period last year, according to a report by Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
