After a decade of serving up sweet treats, Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream is permanently closing its doors in San Diego’s North Park.
Founded by Trang Hammond in the spring of 2014, the first Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream location opened on University Avenue in North Park.
The shop quickly gained a devoted following for its unique selection of Hawaii-imported ice cream, crafted using local ingredients like tropical fruits, nuts, and Kona coffee.
Its signature “flight” of mini ice cream cones became a popular way for customers to sample the diverse flavors.
In 2019, A.J. Williams, an SDSU alum, acquired the business and continued to build on its success. However, the company faced significant challenges in recent years.
By late 2022, due to supply chain disruptions and rising inflation, Hammond’s was no longer able to import their beloved Hawaiian ice cream. To adapt, they switched to sourcing ice cream from Wisconsin, but the change couldn’t sustain the business long-term.
The last remaining location of Hammond’s Ice Cream, which is also the original, will serve its final scoops on Sunday, September 8, marking the end of an era for a North Park favorite.
Their Instagram post reads as follows:
“It is with an enormous amount of gratitude and humility that we want to say Thank you to the city of San Diego and the North Park neighborhood for supporting us through our wonderful 10 year journey. However, as of September 8th 2024, our journey will be coming to an end and Hammond’s Gourmet will be permanently closed.
In 2014, Hammond’s was established with the unique goal of bringing high quality Hawaiian made gourmet ice cream to the San Diego community. However, as of late last year, we were no longer able to continue importing our famous Hawaiian ice cream, due to recurring supply chain issues and rising inflation. And, while we have replaced our Hawaiian ice cream with a very good product from Wisconsin, we don’t feel it aligns to the original aim of Hammond’s.
Hammond’s has enjoyed enormous success over the past 10 years and we’ve enjoyed every minute of the journey. There is no doubt that we had the best fans and customers in the world. And, from our innovative ice cream flights to our unique flavors, we leave knowing that we had a major influence on the current ice cream landscape here in San Diego.
Thanks again to you all and we wish everyone the best.”
North Park’s landscape has been rapidly changing in recent years, with a wave of new developments, rising rents, and the closure of long-standing local businesses.
Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream is just one of several beloved neighborhood spots that have had to shut down, reflecting the ongoing transformation of this vibrant community.
What’s your favorite ice cream spot in San Diego? Let us know where you go for your sweet fix!
If you have any tips, information, or thoughts on what’s happening in North Park, please reach out to us at press@northparksandiego.org.
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