Beloved Oak Bay ice cream shop to open third location in Vic West

The popular Oak Bay-based 49 Below Ice Cream has announced they will be opening their third location in the heart of Vic West.

Their slow-churned, high-butterfat ice cream uses a custom base from a local dairy farm, and makes 99% of their “mix-ins” in-house. 

49 Below is most well-known for their Vanilla Bean, Honeycomb and Vietnamese Coffee flavours, but they are constantly trying new things and making new unique flavours. One example of this was a Frank’s Red Hot ice cream that was lovingly described as “divisive” by 49 Below owner Dan Edler.

Before Edler stepped into the ice cream game, he worked for the BC government for eight years. 

Then, while on a vacation in Italy, he had an ‘aha’ moment that changed the trajectory of his working life. 

“During a trip through Tuscany in 2015, inspired by the local gelato, the idea took root to create ice cream that tells a local story,” Edler told Victoria Buzz.  

“Back home in Victoria, I began experimenting with a small countertop maker, which eventually grew from a small-batch subscription business into the 49 Below team we have today.”

Edler says that expansion has always been of interest, and became a higher priority as his children began to grow older. 

They opened their Oak Bay shop, located at 2575 Cadboro Bay Road, back in 2022 and the satellite location 49 Below To Go in Fernwood Square just last year. 

And now, they are opening their third location in Vic West, at 420 Craigflower Road, right next to Fry’s Bakery. 

“We have always loved the building our newest shop is in, so we jumped at the opportunity when it became available,” said Edler. 

He noted that the space 49 Below will be taking over is part of a vibrant community, surrounded by amazing businesses and the famous Banfield Park dock that draws hundreds in the summer months. 

“We can’t wait to share a cone with our customers there soon,” he continued. 

Though nothing is set in stone, Edler says that he hopes to have the Vic West location up and running by April, but the space still needs some permit approvals and construction before it will be ready to open. 

“This shop offers significantly more space for customers, allowing us to plan some fun new initiatives,” he explained.  

“Our motto is building community through ice cream, and we hope to make the Vic West location a true community hub.”

Though the Vic West location is still a couple months away from opening, those in the neighbourhood who are eager to try 49 Below before then can check out the Oak Bay location to try their wares.