Max’s Best Ice Cream will hold its grand opening at 1 p.m. Tuesday, offering the first 50 customers at its Bethesda shop a free scoop of ice cream.
The shop in Woodmont Triangle describes itself as an “upscale dine-in ice cream shop.” All of its ice cream will come from Vanderwende’s Creamery in Bridgeville, Delaware, making it the first D.C.-area ice cream shop to offer Vanderwende’s products, according to a company press release.
In addition to scoops and cones, Max’s Best Ice Cream will offer “extreme” milkshakes and sundaes that are adorned with toppings including cookies and candy bars. Max’s Best Ice Cream will also serve ice cream floats, sundaes, boozy milkshakes and frozen hot chocolate, according to the release.
Menu items include the “Over the Rainbow” milkshake — a birthday cake milkshake topped with rainbow cake, a spiral lollipop, sprinkles, colorful marshmallows and whipped cream — and the Island Turtle boozy shake made with salty caramel ice cream blended with coconut rum and chocolate liqueur and topped with crushed pecans, toasted coconut flakes, caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top.
The shop at 7770 Woodmont Ave. is named for Bethesda resident and co-owner Cory Alexander’s 19-year-old son and co-owner.
According to Alexander, the father-son team will co-own the shop with Best Buddies International, a Miami-based nonprofit organization that aims to enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through creating opportunities for friendship, employment, leadership and family support, according to its website. The nonprofit – founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver who grew up in the county – will host its Best Buddies Jobs program at Max’s Best Ice Cream, providing employment opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Max’s will also donate a portion of proceeds from every purchase to Best Buddies, according to the press release.
“We are thrilled and honored to be partnering with Best Buddies here locally,” Alexander told Bethesda Today in March, noting that his son is active in the organization. “The roles that the individuals with [intellectual and developmental disabilities] will have will be very meaningful roles” that cater to their skill sets, he said.
Although it markets itself as a “dine-in experience” that offers a variety of seating options, such as booths, tables, and a large counter, Max’s will have to-go options as well.
The shop’s grand opening will take place during an extreme heat warning with a high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit forecast for Tuesday.
Bethesda Today’s Elia Griffin contributed to this story
