Bruster’s Real Ice Cream opens in Ellicott City

Employees stand outside Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City during its official opening, July 23. The shop had its grand opening weekend, March 7-9 where customers were encouraged to donate pajamas to support nonprofit, Comfort Cases. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City hopes to make a difference in the community it serves.

Celebrating its grand opening weekend on March 7-9, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream strives to be a place where people can gather around a shared love of ice cream.

The ice cream company was founded in 1989 by Bruce Reed, according to its website. Operating nearly 200 independently owned locations in 22 states and Guyana, it offers at least 24 ever-changing flavors made fresh in its ice cream shops daily.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City is the first in Howard County with locations in Annapolis, Bel Air, Bowie, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Glen Bernie, Odenton, Severna Park and Waldorf, according to its website. Offering one-of-a-kind flavors including blue pop ice, chocolate raspberry truffle, coffee ripple, cookie jar crunch and cotton candy explosion, each product is made fresh in the store.

Najeeb Chaudhry, manager of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City said the shop has partnered with local churches, community centers and the Howard County Public School System and regularly hosts give-back nights where 10-25% of its earnings are donated back to the school system.

“Our main goal is to foster a sense of community for everyone in Ellicott City and Howard County,” he said. “We really want to partner with our local families, our local communities, our local schools and we are actively doing it.”

Chaudhry said he hopes the shop will make a difference in the community.

“We’re really keen on partnering with our local charities, partnering with schools because we hope that it gives Howard County a place to call its own,” he said. “We hope it gives Howard County a place to have their best days and their sorrowful days and congregate and leave with a bigger smile on their face when they came in.”

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Ellicott City is at 9396 D Baltimore National Pike and is open Sundays-Thursdays from 12-9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 12-10 p.m.

For more information, visit brusters.com.

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