A much-loved ice cream shop will join a new market opening in Durham this summer
A decade in, one of Durham’s sweetest ice cream shops is expanding for the first time.
The wildly popular Parlour ice cream shop will open a tiny scoop window inside the new Common Market in Durham.
The Parlour plans to offer a slightly abbreviated menu of about eight favorite and seasonal flavors.
Get to know The Parlour ice cream
Launched in 2013, The Parlour marked its 10 year anniversary in the spring.
The shop from married couple Yoni and Vanessa Mazuz has built a cult following among ice cream fans, often leading to massive lines stretching out the door. The Parlour takes a seasonal and local approach to ice cream. The dairy comes from a farm in Eastern North Carolina, and the fruit flavors are only available when in season.
“We only use stuff that’s in season and when it’s gone it’s gone,” Vanessa Mazuz said. “When it’s strawberry season we have strawberry ice cream.... We always think we have enough to last for a while but it goes faster than expected.”
The original location is at 117 Market Street in downtown Durham. More info at theparlour.co.
The Common Market
The Common Market is a new specialty bodega set to open this summer near Durham’s Ninth Street and Old West neighborhood.
The brand was born in Charlotte and is making its first push into the Triangle, operating as something of a tiny food hall and deli with a bottle shop and beer taps.
The Parlour will become the market’s ice cream vendor, as it still looks to sign a coffee brand and a third food vendor. Mazuz said the market gives The Parlour a way to ease into expansion.
“We’ve thought on and off about an expansion, but could never really settle on a location,” Mazus said. “This is so much easier.”
The Parlour will take over a walk-up window and about 97 square feet of space, operating as a satellite scoop shop. To start, the menu will be small, with just eight flavors and a few classic toppings, including homemade hot fudge. They will also have milkshakes.
While the original downtown shop is open seven days a week, the new Common Market scoop shop will be closed on Mondays, Mazuz said.
Getting to the downtown Durham shop can sometimes be challenging, Mazuz said, with the prospect of finding street or nearby parking often a hassle. That’s one reason she said the new shop makes sense for The Parlour.
“I’m excited about having a parking lot, hopefully more families can come and see us from the neighborhood,” Mazuz said. “I think it’s going to be a multi-use space with a lot of outdoor seating. There’s nothing really like it.”
