Yala Greek Ice Cream marks year one with World Cup final party in Georgetown

Yala Greek Ice Cream will celebrate its first anniversary on July 19 with an all-day event in Georgetown, capped by an outdoor World Cup Final watch party. The shop is using the milestone to spotlight its growth, new limited-edition flavors and partnerships across Washington.

Why it matters: - Yala Greek Ice Cream is trying to turn a one-shop novelty into a lasting Washington brand. - The anniversary event doubles as a brand-building moment on National Ice Cream Day and a community gathering in Georgetown. - The celebration also highlights the shop’s broader push to position Greek ice cream as its own category in the U.S.

What happened: - Yala Greek Ice Cream will host an all-day anniversary celebration at its Georgetown shop on Sunday, July 19. - The day ends with an outdoor gathering to watch the World Cup Final. - The celebration comes one day before the shop’s official first anniversary on July 20. - The event will include four limited-edition flavors, special guest scoopers, giveaways, prizes, support for DC SCORES and additional surprises. - The anniversary will be held at 3143 N Street NW in Georgetown. - Additional event details, guest announcements and giveaway information will be shared through @yalagreekicecream.

The details: - Yala Greek Ice Cream opened in Georgetown in 2025 as America’s first authentic Greek ice cream shop. - Founder and CEO Chrys Kefalas started the company to introduce Americans to Greek ice cream as a distinct dessert category. - Co-founder Salah Czapary now leads the company alongside Kefalas. - The company says its ice cream is made with farm-fresh A2 milk and ingredients sourced locally, from Greece, across the Mediterranean and from producers around the world. - The shop says it has drawn lines in Georgetown and built a devoted following over its first year. - Yala Greek Ice Cream reports 101,819 guests served, 150,652 scoops served, more than 85 flavors created, more than 75 collaborations and events, and two locations opened in its first year. - The company’s collaborations include Conrad Washington, DC; Levain Bakery; Georgetown Cupcake; Balos Estiatorio; The Angie; For Five Coffee; Monumental Sports and Entertainment; DowntownDC Business Improvement District; Wolf Trap; the Embassy of Greece in Washington; the Delegation of the European Union to the United States; Shakespeare Theatre Company; The Square; Amazon; the Inter-American Development Bank; Puck News; National Geographic Museum; Elizabeth Dole Foundation; DC Central Kitchen; Capital Pride Alliance; DC Commission on Arts and Humanities; Lyle Hotel; Cookies by Drew; Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic; Greek America Foundation; Best Buddies in the National Capital Region; and DC SCORES. - An ongoing partnership with Levain Bakery lets customers pair Levain cookies with Yala Greek Ice Cream at the Georgetown and Bethesda locations. - In June, Yala Greek Ice Cream opened a summer pop-up inside Conrad Washington, DC. - That opening included a blessing, traditional Greek dance by the Byzantio Dance Troupe and guests from the Embassy of Greece, DowntownDC BID and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

Between the lines: - Yala Greek Ice Cream is building distribution and visibility through partnerships instead of relying only on its own storefronts. - The World Cup Final tie-in gives the anniversary a bigger cultural hook and broadens the event beyond dessert. - The limited-edition flavors lean on international matchups and recognizable ingredients to reinforce the brand’s Greek-meets-global identity. - Kefalas said the company’s values come from his grandfather’s example: make things the best they can be, treat people with kindness and generosity, and be extraordinarily welcoming. - Czapary said the first year has been shaped by partnerships with organizations that strengthen the city and its communities.

What's next: - Yala Greek Ice Cream will sell the four anniversary flavors on Sunday while supplies last. - The company will continue sharing event and giveaway updates on social media. - The Georgetown shop and its broader partnership network appear positioned to remain the center of the brand’s growth.

The bottom line: - Yala Greek Ice Cream is using its first anniversary to show it is more than a new shop — it is building a scalable, community-facing brand around Greek-inspired ice cream.