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A new ice cream shop is serving ultra-premium French custard in Vienna’s increasingly competitive frozen-treat market.

Whistler’s Ice Cream Extraordinaire opened Friday, June 5, in the former Molly’s Yogurt space at 521 Maple Avenue West in the Village Green shopping center.

Owner and founder David Galinsky believes Whistler’s can distinguish itself from nearby options such as Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Rita’s, Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream and Cafe de Vienna. Baskin-Robbins is also set to return to town in a combined location with Dunkin’ Donuts.

While Whistler’s is new, its ice cream is based on a recipe Galinsky has sold to other businesses for more than a decade. He also works for the local manufacturer that produces it but declined to identify the company to avoid a conflict with his shop.

Galinsky said the manufacturer’s ice cream has been served at upscale restaurants and hotels, as well as the White House.

He discovered the product while sampling ice creams around the D.C. region for a restaurant he planned to open in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he lives. Although he initially considered rotating among several vendors, one brand changed his mind.

“I thought that was a great plan,” Galinsky said. “And then I went and ate this brand, and I was like, ‘Oh no, I will not sell anybody else’s ice cream.’”

Whistler’s grew from a chance discovery during Galinsky’s work for the manufacturer. While visiting Vienna restaurants, he noticed that Molly’s Yogurt Shop was closed.

Molly’s, established in 2010, was operated by the family behind The Italian Gourmet, a Village Green deli that has served Vienna for more than 50 years. When Galinsky learned owners Jeremy Schottler and Margaret McCollough had not yet found time to open Molly’s for the 2026 season, he asked to test the location as a temporary weekend pop-up.

Galinsky said he “fell in love with Vienna” during the trial and received approval to make the shop permanent.

Whistler’s is currently open daily from 1 to 9 p.m. Its French custard is made with egg yolk, which Galinsky said helps flavors linger while allowing the recipe to use less sugar.

The shop expects to carry about 12 flavors at a time, based on its available freezer space. The selection will include several coconut-based, dairy-free choices, along with dairy-free and vegan sorbets.