CJ’s Sweet Palace, a new dessert shop in Glenside, is hosting a grand opening on Sunday, May 26 at 130 S. Easton Road (directly across from Wesley Plaza).

The day’s hours will be from 2:00pm – 10:00pm, and on Memorial Day from 12:00pm to at least 7:00pm. From there, CJ’s hours are expected to be from 3:00pm to 10:00pm.

Originally anticipated to open in September 2023, owner Carlief Brown is excited to see the finish line. The revamped interior of the store includes nostalgic photos of Glenside, LED lighting, TVs, menus, a forthcoming takeout window, and a forthcoming mural by Jenkintown artist Brian Bowens.

The shop will offer a variety of snacks—hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, among others—toppings, and popular flavors of ice cream, including Brownie Cheesesteak, Java Cookie, Birthday Cake, and Cookie Monster.

“We’re all set to open on Sunday. We’re doing about 10 flavors of water ice and 10 flavors of ice cream,” Brown, who recently signed a three-year lease, said.

CJ’s offered 20 flavors for their soft opening in July 2023.

“I’m trying to add to Glenside. I wanted something that people can walk to. We wanted something cost-effective with an environment,” he said.

The theme and namesake for CJ’s Sweet Palace was inspired by Brown’s teenaged son, who is on the autistic spectrum and attends Green Tree School in Mt. Airy.

“We came from Philadelphia in 2019. We’ve been fighting for him to get the best out of the school district, and with Philly, that can be tough,” Brown said. “You struggle to get here, and then once you get here, you think it’s all going to be okay. But we’re still fighting for him.”

Brown notes that anyone who’s on the spectrum has a place at CJ’s.

“We’re going to take priority to those who are on the spectrum, and we want to create a space where people on the spectrum can come in and hang out,” he said.

Brown graduated from St. Joseph’s University in 2023 with a master’s degree in CyberSecurity.

“Cheltenham Township has been great to me. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms. The commissioners, everyone. I’ve had a great experience,” he said.

Going forward, Brown plans to name CJ’s water ices around local spots and local people. Stay tuned for updates.

For more on CJ’s, you can visit their Facebook page and Instagram page.

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Photo: Carlief Brown