That 'Pop-Up Ice Cream Shop' Could Be Called Churn2

The mysterious upcoming Harvard Square "pop-up ice cream shop" might be called Churn2. Boston Restaurant Talk dug up Cambridge License Commission hearing notes from July 9, 2013, and the discussion regarding a "transient vendor" on the Oxford corner of Harvard's campus seems to match yesterday's Craigslist posting seeking scoopers for a "unique" shop.

The meeting notes reveal that a Crista Milley, manager for a business called Churn2, applied for a vendor/peddler license to operate a mobile food truck on private property (that'd be Harvard University) daily from 11am to 10pm. What follows is a roundabout dialogue regarding what the truck actually is, since Milley describes it as "essentially a food truck without wheels." It turns out that it's more a stand than a truck, although she still calls it "an ice cream truck," but it will be a semi-permanent box-like structure. Most importantly to Milley, but probably not to the board, who seem to be collectively scratching their heads over semantics, it'll "hopefully [be] making lots of people very happy."

Milley describes the founder, absent from the meeting, as someone who has "run a number of restaurants in the West Coast" and saw a similar venture over there that he thought should come to the East Coast.

The wheel-less truck/box will offer coffee and t-shirts in addition to the ice cream, which will be made with liquid nitrogen to order, which eliminates the need to store frozen ice cream. It's unclear at this point whether this will be a seasonal or year-round venture, but Milley says that the company is working closely with Harvard University, so it'll depend on their needs.

The board unanimously approved a vendor-peddler license for Churn2, and if it this is indeed the same business as yesterday's "pop-up ice cream shop," then it is set to open in late August.
· Churn2 (a new ice cream spot) is coming to Cambridge's Harvard Square [BRT]
· Cambridge License Commission hearing notes 7/9/2013 [CambridgeMA.gov]