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The long-established Emack & Bolio’s in Yorkville (1564 First Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets) was briefly closed on Wednesday. The iconic sign was painted over by employees and the store reopened in new splendor on Thursday.

East Side Feed spoke with one of the managers, who said the store owner has parted ways with Emack & Bolios, a chain based in Boston, MA, with a handful of locations across the city. The UES store, which has been around for about twenty years, will no longer be part of the larger chain or carry Emack & Bolio’s products, but will instead operate as an independent ice cream shop called Lilo.

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The manager, who did not want to give us her name, told us that the owner has always loved Hawaii and the Disney movie. Lilo and Stitch, That’s where the name comes from. (She didn’t want to tell us the name of the owner either.)

Lilo will retain current employees and continue to hire employees from the neighborhood.

While Lilo’s will continue to offer a variety of ice cream cones in a variety of flavors, Emack’s marshmallow cereal will no longer be available (there will still be an option to top the cones with toasted marshmallows, though). And while you’ll see the same counter and chalkboard menus when you enter the store, you’ll soon discover plenty of new ice cream flavors.

The current menu comes from a small dairy in Maine, but management says they plan to change the offerings as they work to partner with new suppliers and find new and interesting ice cream flavors. They’re working on adding kosher ice cream from Brooklyn, more dairy-free options, and more Asian and South Asian flavors like ubi and pandan.

The manager stressed that they are committed to staying connected with the community and encourages locals to stop by, look at what is on offer and give feedback on what they would like to see in the range.