EAST BRUNSWICK – What do two dogs, a longtime friendship, ice cream and candy have in common? For Robert Leber and Ronald Struminger, the answer is Marley & Harley’s Creamery & Confections.
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Open since Aug. 29, the new East Brunswick shop is located at 1 Legacy Place, off Route 18 in the Legacy Place apartment complex. It's bright and cheery, with sweet creamy pink and blue pastel vibes, just as Leber and Struminger dreamed it.
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While the shop was a year in the making, it was something the friends knew was a longtime coming.
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"I've just always wanted to open up my own business, and this opportunity just kind of presented itself," Leber said. "We both like ice cream, so we just decided to give it a try. I don't know if I'm an expert in it, but I'm learning every day."
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Leber and Struminger have been friends since childhood.
Both graduated from East Brunswick High School − Leber in 1986, Struminger a year later − and raised their children here, seeing them graduate from their alma mater in the last few years. Many who worked on the project, from construction staff to the lawyer to the website designer, also have deep East Brunswick roots.
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"We are proud to bring this to our hometown," Leber said. "We made sure East Brunswick is represented. We are rooted in hometown pride and community spirit. Our families grew up right here in town and have loved raising the next generation in the same warm-hearted place we call home."
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Leber said the idea for the shop came about in a discussion about ice cream and the lack of "real" ice cream in grocery stores.
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"It's not even called ice cream anymore, it's called frozen dessert," said Leber, who imports textiles from India, Pakistan and China, while Struminger works in real estate. "It's got chemicals in it and it doesn't have enough fat in the in the recipe to really be called 'ice cream.' We kept talking about how we could do something to bring real ice cream to our community. So we did."
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The two visited ice cream and chocolate stores around New Jersey and Florida − strictly for research.
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A chat with a friend in food distribution led them to Giffords "HomeMaine" Ice Cream from Maine. Then they partnered with David Bradley's Chocolatier in Robbinsville. Besides ice cream, the shop has Rosati Italian ices, David’s Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches and assorted candies, cotton candy and caramel popcorn.
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The location is ideal, Leber said.
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"I thought it was good location because of the fact that it's brand new construction," he said. "The hockey rink will open up about 300 yards away. There is a pizza place is opening up over here. There are 250 apartments in the building we're in, and there is going to be 250 in the building next door. Then, there's condos and townhouses behind there. So, we found the right place. And because the construction was brand new, we could build it from scratch."
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Picking a name was simple. They chose to honor their beloved dogs − Leber's Marley, a bichon poo, and Struminger's Harley, a mini golden doodle.
And as quickly as they could say "life happens, chocolate helps," the idea among friends became a sweet reality.
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"Half the store is a chocolate and candy, and the other half is ice cream and Italian ices," Leber said. "And we have indoor and outdoor seating."
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Marley and Harley's offers 26 ice cream and six Italian ices flavors, along with vegan, no sugar added, and low-fat yogurt options to meet a variety of tastes and dietary needs.
Besides cups, cones, classic milkshakes and specialty sundaes, such as the Campfire Smores Sundae, Cookies N’ Cream Colossal Sundae, New York Cheese Cake Sundae and the Peanut Butter Colossal Sundae, the shop offers Twisters, in which a machine twists any kind of topping, even David Bradley's chocolates, into ice cream. And there are tons of toppings, Leber said.
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Some ice creams will switch out soon for new seasonal flavors, including Apple Pie Spiced, Pink Peppermint Stick and Pumpkin, Leber said. Currently, Struminger's favorite is Banana Cream Pie, while Leber scoops for I Scream For Cake. Patrons have picked Campfire S'mores as the store favorite.
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The store, which believes that "Everydaes are Fundaes with our Awesome Sundaes," will hold its official grand opening at 2 p.m. Sept. 25 with East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen.
Open noon to 9 p.m. daily; 908-377-5547, instagram.com/marleyandharleys;
1 Legacy Place, East Brunswick.
email:cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning feature, news and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.