Catch’N Ice Cream

Since his humble beginnings as a Cold Stone Creamery scooper in Michigan, Dylan Lemay always dreamed of taking his love and passion for ice cream to new heights. The young entrepreneur spent years honing his craft, building his personal brand, and creating unique, first-person social videos that put ice cream fans in the spotlight.

Today, as TikTok’s number one food & beverage content creator, Dylan regularly entertains over 15 million followers across numerous digital platforms with his ice cream “throwing” antics. When the influencer was ready to establish a brick-and-mortar venture, he partnered with MG2/The Lionesque Group to bring his brand and vision to life.

Catch’N Ice Cream is an innovative, interactive ice cream shop experience in the NoHo neighborhood of New York City. Like neighboring retailers on its strategically chosen block of Bleecker Street, Catch’N is a contemporary brand that offers visitors an engaging yet timeless approach to a classic experience, one that is inherently Dylan Lemay.

The store’s design language is crisp, clean, and modern, with angular details that draw guests’ eyes to the culinary performance at its center. Hand-selected from dozens of options, the venue itself is a traditional podium retail space in the historic Bayard-Condict Building: the only structure in NYC by the great modernist architect Louis Sullivan. This unique setting creates a backdrop of familiarity and neighborhood context that juxtaposes the trendy elements specific to the Catch’N brand.

In order to fundamentally capture Dylan’s style and personality, every element for Catch’N was custom-designed, from the logo and style guide, to merchandise, fixtures, counters, and wallcoverings. Curated with intent, Catch’N’s color palette boldly diverts from the industry’s traditional, frequently used shades while still befitting that of an ice cream company.

The Catch’N experience centers around a huge cold slab counter where staff chop, fold, and throw ice cream to customers, replicating the influencer’s signature style. The user journey, both kinetic and sensory in nature, puts each patron in the spotlight, just like Dylan’s digital brand and video creations. 

As guests wait their turn, they’re awarded ample sightlines to the cold slab experience and the ability to explore the full line-up of ice cream-themed merchandise. Technological touches such as digital menus and projection mapping infuse humor and keep in-store content fresh, rounding off a stylish, engaging experience created by—and for—the next generation.

“Catch’N is born 50% from social media and 50% from the culinary ice cream world,” explains Peter Stocker, Principal at MG2 and design lead on the new ice cream brand, “The design and customer experiences in the space reflect that duality.”

“What’s been so exciting about working with Dylan and his team to create this unique culinary experience is the incredible growth we’re seeing in the ‘creator as a brand’ trend,” adds Melissa Gonzalez, Principal at MG2 and Founder of The Lionesque Group, an MG2 studio. “The opportunity to partner with such a dynamic innovator with a steadfast entrepreneurial mindset, and be that counterpart in helping him find the perfect space, bring the design to life, and mold the brand voice—it’s been a rewarding experience for all involved.”