South Ward’s Salaam Ice Cream Parlor Celebrates 1st Anniversary

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Favorite ice cream flavors? Butter almond and cookies and cream. Most popular bakery item? Bean pie, based on an old family recipe. South Ward resident Shikhana Muhammad, who owns and operates Salaam Ice Cream Parlor with her sister Cushanda Muhammad and other family members, will be welcoming community members to enjoy these tasty treats and more this Saturday, August 25^th to celebrate their first anniversary.

Shikhana Muhammad was confident that the business, located at 1024 Bergen Street in Newark’s South Ward, would do well but has been surprised by the overwhelming support of community residents. “It’s great to see the smiles on the faces of our customers,” she notes. “They are like children in their happiness when they see all of these choices in a shop so close to home.”

Muhammad says she has already doubled the number of ice cream flavors to 18 with the addition of a new dipper station. In addition to the top sellers, other flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, rainbow sherbet, strawberry shortcake and birthday cake. There’s also a long list of toppings and many ways to enjoy your ice cream including cones, cups, shakes, sundaes and waffle bowls.

Fresh baked goods are based on family recipes attributed to Doris Muhammad, Shikhana and Cushanda’s mother. Choose from chocolate, oatmeal and sugar cookies, brownies, chocolate and yellow frosted cakes, cheesecake and carrot cake with cream cheese icing in addition to the much-loved bean pies. Muhammad was proud to note that a customer recently paid Salaam’s cheesecake a big compliment. He said it was better than Junior’s, the world-famous Brooklyn cheesecake purveyor.

The installation of an attractive and welcoming seasonal parklet by the South Ward SID in front of Salaam Ice Cream Parlor, complete with an abundance of flowers and comfortable seating areas, has created a perfect place for customers to gather and enjoy their ice cream and the warm weather.

The parklet, along with colorful banners, self-watering planters overflowing with flowers, new garbage cans and the hard work of the SID’s Clean Team, providing supplemental services like landscaping, graffiti and trash removal, are contributing to a clean and welcoming South Ward streetscape. That’s good for the people who live and work in the community, as well as visitors shopping locally or accessing healthcare services at nearby Beth Israel Medical Center.

Saturday’s first anniversary celebration at Salaam Ice Cream Parlor will take place from 1:00 till 4:00 p.m. and will include food, fun and entertainment. For more information call (973) 964-3507.

For more information about programs, services and opportunities to support and contribute to the initiatives of the South Ward SID, email southwardsid@gmail.com. You can also follow news from the district at www.southwardsid.com and through social media at www.Facebook.com/SouthWardSID.

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