In the Fox Point neighborhood lies a special spot for vegans and ice cream enthusiasts alike. But while gearing up for the 2024 season, the vegan ice cream shop Like No Udder found itself facing property challenges.
In January, shop owners were informed that their lease at 170 Ives St. would not be renewed, resulting in a weeks-long scramble to secure a new location prior to the spring and summer seasons — a critical period for any ice cream business.
The shop is now relocating to a new space at 783 Hope St., two miles north of the former location, which it will share with Providence Vegan Deli. With larger kitchen facilities, the shop plans to offer new menu items — but always vegan.
Since its opening in 2010, Like No Udder has focused on “creating community, making delicious and consistent eats and always striving to do no harm to animals,” wrote owner Karen Krinsky.
“I appreciate Like No Udder’s commitment to providing ‘yummy’ vegan food that extends beyond ice cream,” wrote Aaron Epstein ’25.
“I think that Like No Udder really shows people that vegan food can be fun and enjoyable, and encourages everyone to try it,” Hannah Saiger ’25 wrote in a message to The Herald.
During the first week of January, Like No Udder’s landlords decided not to offer the shop owners an opportunity to renew their lease. “It was a huge shock,” Krinsky wrote.
Forced to navigate commercial property rentals around Fox Point and nearby neighborhoods, Like No Udder’s team began to explore other options for a location amid rising rent prices — combined with a rush to open before the warm weather, which attracts potential customers.
“Finding a spot in the right location at the right price in a short amount of time is nearly impossible when there are so few rental properties in the area we have grown in and loved,” wrote Krinsky. “Needless to say, we have been spending every spare moment to make sure we get back on our feet quickly.”
The new location is surrounded by independent businesses and restaurants, and Like No Udder’s owners remain optimistic that the shop will continue to attract their loyal college clientele.
“It is sad for my friends and I that Like No Udder is farther, but I am sure that we will still bike there to get to the new location,” Saiger wrote.
Epstein shared similar sentiments, writing to The Herald that he’s disappointed that Like No Udder will be moving out of Fox Point but that he also plans to continue to visit the shop.
“We will truly miss this neighborhood,” Krinsky wrote, “but know that this unexpected change will prove to be an even better place as we grow.”
