Beloved Connecticut Ice Cream Shop Buys Historic Destination Site

This article traces Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream’s purchase of the historic Old Mystic General Store and the renovations underway for a second Connecticut location. It also digs into the shop’s heritage, how they make their ice cream, and what the expansion might mean for folks from Mystic to New London—and maybe even a little farther.

Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream Expands to Old Mystic General Store

Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream, a small-batch creamery rooted in downtown Mystic, just announced on social media that it’s taken over the Old Mystic General Store. They’ll open a second location in the area. The downtown shop won’t close during renovations. The owners say they’re “bringing the Old Mystic General Store back to life in our own Mystic Drawbridge way.” This move grows a local brand that’s been around since 1800, when Randall Brown Jr. started serving ice cream at the downtown spot.

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This marks a fresh chapter for the family business, which runs a 2,000-square-foot shop right next to the 1922 Bascule Bridge. That drawbridge opens from May through October, and people crowd the shop, the patio, or even the bridge to watch. In Mystic, Groton, and nearby towns, locals and visitors have come to associate the brand with a premium, on-site crafted product and that classic New England ice cream vibe.

Heritage Meets Craft: What Makes the Ice Cream Stand Out

The Mystic Drawbridge process uses slow-turning gelato machines. This gives the ice cream a dense texture and a butterfat content between 16 and 18 percent. They use local cream, skip preservatives and added hormones, and really double down on quality. The flavors branch out, and the house-made mix-ins—caramel, Belgian chocolate, brownie bites, cookies, fresh fruit, baked crumbles, roasted nuts, and even brand-name candies—definitely set them apart for picky guests.

When you visit the downtown site, you’re eating ice cream served in the same historic corridor since 1800. That lineage survived the 1936 hurricane and a bunch of storefronts before the current owners brought it back in 1991. The Old Mystic spot is getting a makeover to honor that history, but they’re also folding in the Mystic Drawbridge look and the high standards locals expect.

On-site production with slow gelato processing for dense texture
High butterfat content (16–18%) for a richer mouthfeel
Locally sourced cream and no preservatives or hormones
Premium mix-ins from caramel to roasted nuts and house-made crumbles
Historic setting, with a bridge-view experience that blends town lore with dessert

What This Means for Connecticut Communities

The new Old Mystic General Store location will serve folks from several Connecticut towns. That includes Mystic, Groton, and stretches out to Stonington, Ledyard, North Stonington, New London, Old Saybrook, Waterford, and East Lyme.

Local shoppers in these areas can look forward to a wider reach, but the original Mystic shop isn’t going anywhere. The team wants to keep the downtown Mystic spot lively and easy to visit, even while they work on the Old Mystic site.

Honestly, this expansion just fits with Connecticut’s growing love for artisanal, locally made treats—especially the kind that feel like an outing, not just a snack. The Mystic Drawbridge crew says they’ll share more details as renovations move forward, so fans in Norwich and other nearby towns should keep an eye out.

Connecticut’s dessert crowd can expect the same careful sourcing and classic techniques that have always set this brand apart. They’re not about to mess with what works.

Mystic keeps pulling in visitors to the drawbridge and the downtown shops, and now the Old Mystic General Store might turn into a new favorite for families and food lovers. This project preserves a bit of Connecticut history and, in my view, makes the region even more of a food destination.

For folks living in Mystic, Groton, Stonington, and the rest, it’s not just another store. It’s a new chapter for a local ice cream tradition that’s been part of the community for ages.

Here is the source article for this story: Beloved CT ice cream shop buys historic new site. It’s also a destination location in the state.

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