After eight years in the Castro District, Castro Fountain (554 Castro Street) will close its doors this weekend, with its final day of business set for Sunday, March 23.
The popular dessert shop, known for its organic ice cream and baked-on-site treats, announced its closure on social media. Castro Fountain opened in 2017, occupying the former L’Occitane storefront.
Owner Juliet Pries expressed gratitude to the Castro community, reflecting on the privilege of being part of the neighborhood over the years. However, she cited challenges in recent years that led to the difficult decision to shut down the shop. “It has been a privilege to be a part of the Castro neighborhood for the past eight years,” Pries wrote. “The last few have been quite challenging, so we’ve made the difficult decision to close The Castro Fountain.”
Pries added that she would miss serving the loyal customers, many of whom had become personal friends. The shop’s offerings included organic ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and old-fashioned ice cream sodas. Castro Fountain’s sister store, The Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley, will remain open.
Pries explained that running a small business in San Francisco had become increasingly difficult. “It’s just become too difficult to run a small business in San Francisco,” she told Hoodline. “I love having a shop in The Castro, and I hate to give it up, but I rely on foot traffic, which has dwindled.”
Rising ingredient costs were also cited as a factor in the closure. “The rising cost of the ingredients we use is also a factor, and compromising on them isn’t really an option,” Pries said. “In such uncertain times, it makes more sense to focus on my original shop, The Ice Cream Bar.”
While The Castro Fountain shared a similar menu with The Ice Cream Bar, it did not offer “remedies”—alcohol-infused soda fountain drinks, a signature of The Ice Cream Bar.
The store’s opening was delayed for years due to challenges with city agencies and PG&E. Despite the closure, Castro residents will still be able to satisfy their ice cream cravings at nearby establishments such as Oz Pizza, which recently added ice cream to its menu, or at Double Rainbow Ice Cream, just a block away at 415 Castro Street.
Pries thanked her staff for their contributions since 2017 and shared that the current team would continue working at The Ice Cream Bar. “We are grateful for all the amazing staff we’ve had since we opened in 2017, and we are happy that the current staff will continue their employment at our sister location, The Ice Cream Bar,” Pries said.
In closing, she expressed appreciation for the community’s support: “From all of us at The Castro Fountain, thank you for your support.”
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