Eastern Market Vegan Soft Serve Stand Cold Truth Closes Due to Licensing Issues

The summer season for one of Detroit’s most popular ice cream spots came to an abrupt end on Wednesday. Vegan soft serve brand Cold Truth has permanently closed its Eastern Market walk-up window due to license issues with the city.

The soft serve saga began last week when Cold Truth announced on social media that it would be closed for the weekend: “The City has asked us to apply for a new license (different from the one that Cold Truth arranged prior to our June 1st opening).” The owners had intended to reopen in a week’s time, but the relicensing process did not go according to plan.

On Wednesday evening the brand confirmed in a statement shared to Instagram that the city refused to license Cold Truth at its current location located on Service Street behind Trinosophes. The owners are now seeking out temporary pop-up locations at other licensed restaurants, per the post:

We officially got word from the city that we can no longer operate at the Service Street address in Eastern Market. The city is ready to license us at a street address that is currently licensed. If you are a licensed restaurant that has any extra space to pop up for the summer we’d love to talk to you.

Reached by Eater, Cold Truth owner Timothy Mahoney declined to comment on the city’s decision. “We’re putting all our energy to getting our Midtown location up and running!,” he writes in a statement.

Cold Truth created a sensation last summer when Mahoney and co-founder Chris Reilly of now-defunct Reilly Craft Creamery teamed up to open an Instagram-friendly soft serve pop-up behind Trinosophes.

The stand returned in May, with plans for a second more permanent stand and prep kitchen. It will be located next to Asian mini mart and bubble tea shop Tou & Mai in Cass Corridor and will hopefully feature ice cream bars. Cold Truth has not confirmed the location’s opening timeline.

Stay tuned for more updates later this summer.

• Vegan Soft Serve Stand Will Move In Next to Tou & Mai in Cass Corridor [ED]
• Vegan Soft Serve Sensation Cold Truth Plans Midtown Ice Cream Parlor [ED]
• Reilly Craft Creamery Unveils Pop-Up Soft Serve Stand in Eastern Market [ED]
• All Eater Tracking Coverage [ED]