Breakfast may be the “most important” meal of the day, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be the most fun. This Saturday, ice cream shops around the city are opening early to participate in Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. 

The informal holiday was invented by a mother of six. According to lore, on a cold and boring February morning in 1966, a mom from Rochester, New York, came up with the idea to bring some much-needed levity to her kids’ day. 

Those kids grew up and carried their family tradition forward. And now, it’s an annual event, taking place on the first Saturday of every February. 

“It’s the day we look forward to every year from start to finish — from conceptualizing the flavors and creating them all the way to the day itself,” said Amy Wilson, CEO and creative director at Milk Jawn in South Philly.

“We usually have a line waiting,” she said. “We open at 9 a.m. for our Ice Cream for Breakfast Day …. We have families that come back every year. They kind of plan the day around it. It’s become a tradition.”

This is Milk Jawns’ fourth year celebrating the day at their East Passyunk shop. Even when temps have fallen into the single digits, Wilson said, customers show up. This year’s flavor lineup is completely kids’ cereal themed. Think Corn Pops, Cap’n Crunch and Lucky Charms.

“We have a Cookie Crisp sundae,” Wilson said. “It’s a sweet-cream ice cream that we swirled with a malted fudge, and then we added toasted Cookie Crisp cereal with brown sugar, and added that in. That one is — oh my God, my favorite.”

Lynne Haase, supervisor of the Parkway Central Library‘s children’s department, said that the global holiday is also quite popular there. 

“Last year we had, I think, 450 people here,” she said. “It was such a big hit.”

While the Free Library will not have a lineup of inventive breakfast-themed flavors like Milk Jawn, they will be throwing an Ice Cream for Breakfast party with live music and an ice cream truck. Local kids’ band Ants on a Log will perform along with drag queen Eric Jaffe.

“This is the first time we’re going to have an ice cream truck,” she said. “So everybody will get a free scoop of ice cream.”

Ice cream shops Weckerly’s and Malai are both featuring a French toast-themed ice cream treat as one of their breakfast specials. Ice cream enthusiasts can head to Weckerly’s in Rittenhouse and then walk a block down Spruce to try Malai’s take.

The former is leaning into a classic brioche vibe with maple syrup-soaked pieces and swirled with triple berry jam. The latter is going outside the box with actual French toast made with orange-fennel ice cream and topped with coffee cardamom ice cream. Coffee-infused maple syrup is drizzled on top. 

Malai will be serving French toast topped with ice cream this weekend. (Photo by Malai)

“I just think that people are always looking for this — a joyful moment when it’s totally and completely unexpected, especially from your ice cream shop at breakfast,” Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Malai, said.

As the new kid on the block, Bavishi is excited to bring something a bit different to the Philadelphia lineup. The store, which features spiced South Asian flavors, began in Brooklyn.

“We’ve loved our customer base in Philadelphia. They’ve been so amazing, so loyal. They show up in a way that makes us so excited,” Bavishi said. 

“If they’re anything like me, I’m just itching to get out, to find fun things to do,” she added. “Just because it has been so cold and so miserable.”

Cristina Torres, Weckerly’s owner, hopes that die-hard ice cream lovers will come out no matter the weather. Still, if customers are really hesitant to double up on exposure to the cold, she noted that Weckerly’s also serves coffee for those who need a hot pick-me-up. 

“Our Rittenhouse location does have a full coffee service,” she said. “So we’ll have lattes, cappuccinos and all of that available. We’re also doing dollar drip coffees for people to come in and sort of warm up while they’re enjoying the ice cream.”

Ice cream flavors at Weckerly’s include homemade Honey Bunches of Oats, brioche French toast and coffee & cake. They will be available throughout the month. (Photo by Cristina Torres)

Unlike Valentine’s Day, February’s biggest commercial holiday, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is a low-key, low-pressure event all about doing something outside of your routine. 

“We forget that, you know, we’re all still little kids inside,” Torres said.

While a frozen treat may seem counterintuitive in sub-frozen weather, Haase said she believes the informal holiday is exactly what Philadelphians need right now.

“The weather hasn’t been good. I don’t know how long it has been since we’ve had a day above freezing. People are feeling down about things that are happening in our country and even in our city. And, you know, it’s hard not to let these things get to you,” she said.

“I want to put a smile on everybody’s faces. That’s what it should all be about — just a way to gather in the community, especially right now.”

For full flavor lineups, schedules and hours, visit the shops’ Instagrams and websites.