Meadowlark Dairy Opening 2nd Location In Livermore
LIVERMORE, CA — Livermore is about to get a little bit cooler. Meadowlark Dairy, the 105-year-old dairy and ice cream store that Yelp users decided was the 8th best ice cream shop in the United States in 2023, plans to build a second location in Livermore as early as April 2025.
Owner Jesse Takens, who recently took over the family business from his parents, told Patch that he hopes to open a second location due to overcrowding at the current location on 57 West Neal Street.
“We’re so lucky to have a big following now, but sometimes that leads to longer wait times, and you have customers who have been coming here sometimes 30-40 years saying I can no longer get in this place anymore,” he said. “So partially trying to spread people out, and take people who are coming from the Altamont side, and bring them to Livermore.”
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Takens has met with Livermore city officials about opening a 7,000-square-foot space on 2287 Second Street, the former location of Bank of the West, and said city officials seemed excited about the idea.
“We’re excited to welcome Meadowlark Dairy to Livermore. Their plans for the downtown location will bring a fresh and unique offering to the community, enhancing the area for both residents and visitors,” Livermore City Manager Marianna Marysheva said in a statement shared with Patch.
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The 7,000 square feet will be more than twice as big as the Pleasanton location’s 2500 square feet, though Takens said much of that space will be used for refrigeration, storage, and production. Another portion will be used as a small dairy grocery store. Unlike the current location, customers will be able to walk in, and there will be some indoor and outdoor seating. He said he also hopes to adorn the new location with photos and posters of the many dairies that were once in the area.
“We’re trying to get people a little more history while they’re in there, and bring them into an air-conditioned building when it’s really hot outside, instead of standing outside in the heat waiting in line,” he said. Meadowlark is known as for its drive-thru as much as anything, and when the news of the second location broke, that was often the first question everyone asked.
The Bank of the West property had a drive-thru, but Takens said he doesn’t want to open one just yet. “Of course we would love to have one, but the scope of that is a bit much for right now,” he said in a comment to a post on the social media group Livermore Rants & Raves. “The city is open to the conversation, so I’m hopeful we can work something out, even if it’s not exactly the same as our other drive thru.”
For now, exact plans are tentative, and Meadowlark has not yet submitted a formal application. Takens said he’s optimistically aiming to open in April, but he wants to start small and get everything right first. “I want to be cautious about just going in there and doing our thing,” he said. “I want to be right to the neighbors and the city before we just come in and bring people in.
“We have really high hopes – we’re excited,” he said.
Visit meadowlarkdairy.com for more information.
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