A new Bruster's Real Ice Cream shop is headed for the northwest corner of Canton Center and Warren roads, with an opening targeted for February or March 2027 depending on how construction and permitting go. The family behind the project says they picked Canton because the township's residents have earned a sweet reward after a long day.
According to Social House News, the Canton shop will be opened by Zein Bakri alongside his uncle, Khalil Moussa, who already owns a Bruster's location in Riverview. Bakri described Canton as a community-driven township full of hard-working people who deserve dessert after work, according to the same report. The timeline for the Canton store hinges on how smoothly construction and permitting proceed, the outlet reported, meaning the February or March 2027 window could shift.
A Family Business With Deep Roots in the Region
Bruster's also has a location in Troy, per the same report. Bruster's has proposed projects in Canton and Strongsville, Ohio, though individual projects can face delays tied to financing and permitting.
Bruster's traces its history back to 1989, when founder Bruce Reed built an ice cream stand in Western Pennsylvania after trying to help his sister out of a tight financial spot, according to Bruster's. Reed was reportedly driven by a desire to give his community fresh, homemade ice cream, and that same model — small-batch ice cream made fresh in every shop each day — still defines the chain's shops today, the company says.
What Customers Can Expect on the Menu
Each Bruster's location draws from a deep well of recipes: the company has 150 ice cream recipes in rotation and typically offers two dozen flavors at any given time, with new ones cycling in regularly, Cleveland.com reports. Beyond scoops, the Canton shop is expected to serve fresh customized sundaes, candy-filled blasts, freezes, milkshakes, cakes and pies, per the same account. The ice cream itself reportedly comes from Bruster's own dairy, delivered each morning so it can be made the same day it's sold.
That same recipe has played out at other Bruster's locations around the region. The chain's Jackson Township store, which opened in May 2022 at 4609 Hills & Dales Road NW, carries 25 to 30 flavors at any given time, including a handful of nondairy and sugar-free options, as reported by the Canton Repository. Owners Shawn and Andrea Brown run that shop with a walk-up window, a drive-thru, and DoorDash delivery, and it has operated daily from noon to 9 p.m., the outlet reported.
Expansion Stretches From Ohio to New Jersey
Canton's prospective shop is part of a broader wave of Bruster's projects in motion. In Strongsville, Ohio, the planning commission reapproved a Bruster's store in February 2025 for the southwest corner of Pearl Road and Ellsworth Drive, about 1,200 feet south of Drake Road, according to Cleveland.com. That project had first been approved back in February 2023 but stalled when Bruster's couldn't secure a construction loan, the outlet reported.
Meanwhile in New Jersey, Bruster's has signed a lease for a 2,694-square-foot space at Ivy & Green, a mixed-use development at 1 Park Avenue in Hackensack, which would mark the brand's second Bergen County location after its 2024 debut in Westwood, according to Boozy Burbs. No opening date for the Hackensack shop had been announced as of that report. Company figures on Bruster's total footprint have varied between sources — Cleveland.com cites nearly 200 stores across 22 states and Guyana, while the Canton Repository lists nearly 200 locations across 22 states, Guyana and South Korea, and Bruster's own newsroom references nearly 300 stores.
Back in Canton, there's no confirmation yet on permits, construction progress or a finalized store design. Social House News says it plans to share updates on the shop's grand opening as more details become available, leaving the exact timeline for Canton's newest scoop shop still very much in motion.
