Daily Voice
By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice
As a boy growing up in Pakistan, Syed Rizvi almost never got ice cream. He only tasted it when his grandmother picked him up from school and bought it for him, maybe once a month. Back then, he dreamed of one day owning an ice cream truck.
Three decades later, his reality is beyond anything he could have imagined as a child. Rizvi, 63, now runs one of Bergen County’s most popular ice cream shops — Ice Cream on Grand in Englewood — which this summer celebrated its 30th year and was crowned winner of Daily Voice’s Ice Cream Showdown.
Rizvi bought the shop in 1995 when it was still a Carvel. Five years later, he went independent and rebranded it as Ice Cream on Grand.
Today, the shop serves 32 rotating flavors, with Cookie Monster — packed with cookies and fudge — reigning as its top seller. “Without it, we’d be bankrupt,” Rizvi joked.
Syed Rizvi at Ice Cream on Grand.
Rizvi runs the business alongside his wife, Victoria, who manages marketing and social media while also working full-time at a pharmaceutical company. A computer science graduate from Moscow, she came to the U.S. in 1991, the same year as her husband. At first, she had no idea how consuming an ice cream business could be. “It was like marrying a doctor,” she said. “He was always on call.”
Over time, though, she came to understand the intensity of her husband’s passion — and why the shop demanded so much of him. Behind the counter, the philosophy is simple: only the best ingredients.
Madagascar vanilla, purees imported from Italy, and custom-made equipment from overseas. Some flavors can cost hundreds of dollars a batch. That quality comes at a price — cups start at about $8.50 for a kids size — but customers say it’s worth it for the craftsmanship and ingredients that go into every scoop.
“We compete for quality, not price,” Victoria said, once calling the shop the “Neiman Marcus of ice cream.”
Prices at Ice Cream on Grand
That demand is clear long before the doors officially open. Customers regularly knock on the door before 2 p.m., eager to get in. Victoria keeps the driveway blocked off until opening time — otherwise, she says, the day’s business would begin too early.
Part of what keeps people coming back is Rizvi’s relentless drive to improve. He is always adjusting recipes, testing new flavors, and searching for better ingredients.
“If we can’t find a product that’s good, we will discontinue it. We won’t sacrifice the quality,” his wife said. And when profits come in, he puts them straight back into the shop — whether it’s new Italian equipment, upgraded décor inside, or the colorful seating area outside.
Outside Ice Cream on Grand.
Inside Ice Cream on Grand.
Inside Ice Cream on Grand.
Over the years, Ice Cream on Grand has become a true community staple, welcoming families of every background. One of its strongest followings comes from Bergen County’s Jewish community.
Back in the 1990s, just after taking over the Carvel, Rizvi remembers a young Jewish boy walking in and asking if the shop was kosher. At the time, Rizvi had no idea what that meant. But he did his homework, and within two weeks the store was certified. The late founder of Kof-K, Dr. Zecharia (Harvey) Senter, personally kashered the shop.
Today, his photo hangs proudly by the front door.
That decision shaped the business. Victoria estimates that about a third of Ice Cream on Grand’s customers now keep kosher, with Sundays among the busiest days of the week.
Another loyal customer base comes from the Asian community in nearby Fort Lee and Palisades Park. Just before COVID, a Japanese colleague introduced Victoria to yuzu, a citrus fruit popular in Asian desserts. She and Syed created a yuzu ice cream with lemon zest — and it quickly became a top seller.
Despite the popularity, Rizvi prefers to stay low-profile. But his staff and customers notice his generosity. “He’s very nice and he cares about us,” said one employee. “Sometimes he’ll even give us lunch money. He’s very thoughtful.”
Victoria says that if customers show up before the shop officially opens, her husband often just gives them their ice cream for free. During Daily Voice’s visit, Rizvi handed a cone to a DPW worker on the house — just as he often does for local firefighters and police officers.
Even after 30 years, ice cream is never far from his mind. “The passion is there,” Victoria said. “He sleeps and thinks ice cream. On vacation, he thinks ice cream. He’ll tell the taxi driver, ‘Take me to the best ice cream shops.’ We’ll go to the Louvre, and then we’ll go to an ice cream shop. It’s his passion.”
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