The Student Association paid a $300 tab for students to get free ice cream at the new Ben and Jerry’s in the Marvin Center as the store opened Tuesday evening.

About 20 students lined up at the new ground floor venue just before employees raised the metal gate with a cheer. SA President Roger Kapoor and Vice President Josh Singer were first in line to sample the 20 flavors, selected as the most popular in the area.

“The SA was extremely happy that students’ voices were heard and Ben and Jerry’s was brought to campus,” Kapoor said.

She said the store created five new Aramark jobs at GW.

Senior Food Service Director Jim Gillespie said the new employees were trained at the Georgetown Ben and Jerry’s last week.

Aramark and Dining Services then matched the SA’s contribution to students and provided another half-hour of free ice cream.

SA Dining Services Chair Eric Daleo said GW selected Ben and Jerry’s based on the results of a student survey last spring, in which students chose the venue from choices like Dairy Queen and Freshens.

“The next few weeks are going to be a trial period,” Daleo said, adding that employees will be testing all aspects of the store, such as how to direct the line. “They may not have the fastest service or have all the flavors yet.”

Gillespie said he thought Ben and Jerry’s ice cream would be a more popular product than the Freshens yogurt it replaced.

“I think yogurt has seen its day,” he said. “I think ice cream is here to stay.”

-Kate Stepan