America's favorite flash-frozen beaded ice cream treat Dippin' Dots will now be available on the streets of New York through a new co-branded Dippin' Dots/Doc Popcorn flagship store opening early April by local 25-year old entrepreneur Neil Hershman. The store is currently under construction in the Flatiron District at 1 Madison Avenue (aka 24 East 23rd Street), off Madison Square Park.

Hershman has opened and acquired five 16 Handles frozen yogurt franchises throughout New York City, including a Times Square flagship, and says that bringing Dippin' Dots to a central downtown Manhattan location presents a unique opportunity to grow his dessert empire. "I focus on brands that offer great products, but more importantly great experiences, and I believe that the new Dippin' Dots and Doc Popcorn flagship on Madison Square Park will be an outstanding addition to my portfolio," said Hershman.

"I grew up like many others eating Dippin' Dots exclusively at an amusement park or sports game. I wanted to bring that same experience to the millions of young adults and families traveling through Manhattan daily, knowing full well the multi-generational brand recognition that Dippin' Dots has earned by making such a delicious and unique treat for 30+ years," said Hershman. "Adding the complementary Doc Popcorn co-brand was also a no-brainer for me because I love the boutique-style, high quality popcorn and believe the new brand has big potential in New York if it can attract the loyal daytime customer looking for a healthy snack alternative. I'm likewise optimistic on the eventual return of normalcy to New York City within the next 24 months and look forward to building out a strong catering and delivery business for both brands."

By combining two leading snack and treat brands in one space, the new dual-concept store will give New Yorkers the opportunity to satisfy sweet and savory snack cravings with the offerings of Doc Popcorn's fresh-popped, kettle-cooked popcorn and Dippin' Dots' ice cream. When opened, the store will include favorite ice cream flavors like Rainbow Ice, Cookies and Cream and Banana Split, in addition to several popcorn flavors, including Better Butter and Caramel Bliss.

"We are excited to partner with Neil as an experienced franchisee to bring our brands to New York City in such a marquee location," said Steve Rothenstein, Senior Director of Franchising for Dippin' Dots and Doc Popcorn. "The new store represents a true partnership between our corporate team and a franchisee for this flagship location."

Construction updates and future details for the store's official opening can be found by following @DippinDotsNYC on Instagram.

Dippin' Dots beaded ice cream was created in 1988 using cryogenic technology to invent an unconventional ice cream that's remarkably fresh and flavorful. For the past 30 years, millions of people have fallen in love with the iconic treat, which is available in thousands of franchise locations, theme parks, stadiums, arenas, zoos, movie theaters, fairs and festivals, as well as shipped right to customers' homes. Doc Popcorn handcrafts a wide variety of fresh-popped specialty flavors of popcorn free of trans fat, MSG, artificial colors and preservatives.

Using whole grain kernels, proprietary flavor blends and other high-quality ingredients, Doc Popcorn handcrafts a wide variety of fresh-popped specialty flavors of popcorn free of trans fat, MSG, artificial colors and preservatives. Born in Boulder, Colo., Doc Popcorn started franchising in 2009 and has been consistently recognized as one of the top food franchises in the country by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. For more information and to inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit www.docpopcorn.com.