Sarris Candies will bring its scoops to East Liberty, opening a new ice cream counter inside the Penn Avenue Market District at 6310 Penn Ave. The Sarris Scoop Shop will serve quick-service treats customers can enjoy while they shop or settle into a nearby seating area, marking the Canonsburg chocolatier's latest push beyond its original ice cream parlor.
The shop will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a menu of ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes and other prepackaged treats, according to WPXI. Sarris Candies has operated in the region for more than six decades, having been founded as a small candy business in Canonsburg in 1960, and the family-owned regional brand today produces handcrafted chocolates, seasonal items and ice cream.
Bill Sarris, president and chief executive officer of Sarris Candies, said the company is seeking new ways to meet customers where they are. He added that the Market District opening will introduce more people to Sarris Candies ice cream, a sentiment echoed in the station's report on the launch.
A Longtime Partnership Grows
Dan Donovan, spokesperson for Market District, said the grocery chain has an existing relationship with Sarris Candies and that this new counter expands that longtime partnership to the Penn Avenue location. Market District, per the same account, showcases outstanding products, local partners and food experiences as part of its store concept.
The Penn Avenue Market District is a relatively new addition to East Liberty, having opened in November 2025 inside The Meridian, a six-story mixed-use development with 231 apartments and street-level retail, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Replacing a Local Favorite
A Previous Scoop-Shop Partnership When the store first opened, Giant Eagle partnered with local artisan vendor Millie's Homemade Ice Cream to run an in-store scoop shop, as reported by WPXI. The Penn Avenue Market District is Giant Eagle’s seventh specialty grocery location, and Sarris is set to open its own scoop shop there.
In May, the grocery chain brought smash-burger concept Beef Graffiti into its Waterworks store under a three-year counter lease near the coffee area.
Beyond the Canonsburg Parlor
Sarris Candies' Canonsburg location is home to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor built in 1979 and a 1,500-pound chocolate castle with flowing chocolate waterfalls, according to Visit Pennsylvania. The parlor was inspired by soda fountains from Frank Sarris's youth, a contrast to the grab-and-go counter set to open inside the Penn Avenue grocery store.
The company has been expanding on multiple fronts this year. In June, Sarris opened a new 130,000-square-foot factory and retail store on Meadow Lane in Canonsburg at the historic Fort Pitt Bridge Works site, according to TribLIVE. The new facility also offers guided factory tours.
Sarris also maintains a retail shop at Pittsburgh International Airport, where it collaborated with Great Lakes Brewing on a limited-edition chocolate ale earlier in 2026, as Hoodline previously reported on Pittsburgh's airport concessions. The company's products are distributed through more than 1,200 retail locations across 17 states.
