Following the success of its two mini-shops, The Sweet Creamery‘s largest location yet is slated to open at 2801 Locust in Midtown this Sunday, June 1. It will feature new desserts alongside the popular offerings available at its other locations, at 1107 N. Kingshighway and 4421 W. Main in Belleville. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
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Inspired by owner Aliyah Almasri’s African and Middle Eastern roots, the new menu features the scrumptious Lebanese Cocktail, the trending Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cup, and the owner’s traditional Nigerian doughnuts.
“We are giving away 50 Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cups and 50 crepes at the grand opening on Sunday,” says Almasri.
The menu showcases a range of waffles and crepes, available in sweet and savory flavors. Among the bestsellers:
- The Golden Lotus: with lotus cookie butter, cookie crumble, and white chocolate
- Our Signature: with Nutella cream and pistachio sauce
- Strawberry Short Crepe: with white chocolate, graham crackle crumble, a strawberry glaze, and fresh strawberry
- Mixed Berry: with strawberry, blueberry, and kiwi
The menu’s ‘Fruit Cocktail’ section features a range of Middle Eastern flavors:
- Beirut Bliss: with banana, pineapple, strawberry, kiwi, pistachio crumble, honey, and sweet milk
- Arabian Nights: with Nutella, avocado banana sauce, ashta, and strawberry
- Ammar’s Orchard: a pistachio-rich dish with traditional Levantine dessert halawet el jign among its ingredients
“Our cups Dubai Chocolate, Oreo, and Biscoff are very popular,” adds Almasri. These cups, along with Arabic ice cream, ‘Booza Arabia,’ are likely to be popular this summer. Many items are also available with Dubai Chocolate, which has created a buzz across the Middle East in recent months.
One way to sample a range of flavors is the Melt And Dip Box, an ideal sharing platter that’s a visual delight and merges well with the shop’s atmosphere.
Keeping with the menu’s halal theme, the shop offers a range of nonalcoholic cold-pressed fruit mocktails. The gold-rimmed glassware, decorated with flowers, blends seamlessly with the garden-like backdrop.
The Atmosphere
The green-and-gold interior was inspired by the emerald green and gold wedding ring of Almasri’s grandmother.
“The shop is a tribute to her and my grandfather, Rashidah and Muhammad Abdul-Haqq,” says Almasri.
On the wall, there is a quote that Alsmasri’s grandmother told her years ago: If you can dream it, you can do it. “That message—and their legacy—are at the heart of everything I bake,” says Almasri.
The Backstory
Almasri was born and raised in Cleveland and has lived in St. Louis for the past eight years.
Although she didn’t attend culinary school, baking runs deep in her roots. She is of Nigerian and Native American descent and has drawn inspiration from many in her family.
“My aunt Jamirah Abdul-Haqq is a master chef with her own cookbook,” says Almasri. “You could say I’m self-taught, but really, I was trained by tradition and love.”
As she now leads a family-owned and -operated business, Almasri’s baking prowess came to the fore during the pandemic, when Almasri began baking more often and shared her creations on Facebook. After she received an overwhelmingly positive response from friends and family, the hobby evolved into a home-based business with a fast-growing clientele. Eventually, her home kitchen couldn’t keep up with the demand, so she opened a storefront.
“My husband, who is Middle Eastern, would often have friends over, and they, too, became fans of my desserts and cooking,” she recalls. “With three sons who have endless appetites, I’m constantly creating new recipes to keep things exciting in the kitchen.”
Almasri is also rooted in her Muslim faith and with the grand opening of The Sweet Creamery coming a week before the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Adha, she has special plans for the occasion as well. “On Eid, we will be giving away 140 Squishmallow toys to kids in the store,” she says.
Almasri believes The Sweet Creamery’s new location will pave the way for further expansion: “I am going to open [another location] in Ballwin next year.”
📍2801 Locust, Midtown (enter off of Leffingwell)
📞 314-932-5609
⏰ 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon–Thu, 11 a.m.–midnight Fri & Sat, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun.
