RE-OPENING: Neighbors, a West Homewood ice cream shop, returns April 15 [Photos]

Neighbors, a community ice cream shop in West Homewood, is reopening on April 15 under new ownership. Read on for the scoop.

A community ice cream shop

Back in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 families got together in West Homewood to launch the family-friendly ice cream shop at the former Magic City Sweet Ice location at 715 Oak Grove Road across from Patriot Park. 

The popular gathering spot closed in January, but was soon bought by David Walker, a local resident.

West Homewood—a cool Little neighborhood

For the Walker family, having an ice cream shop in the middle of West Homewood is what makes the neighborhood special. 

“I kind of looked at my wife Anne and said…am I kind of insane?” Walker told Bham Now about the moment the family decided to purchase Neighbors.

“Neither one of us has any restaurant knowledge. I’ve never worked in the food industry. I own a logistics company with my dad. [Anne’s] an occupational therapist, But [Neighbors] is what makes West Homewood the cool little neighborhood it is.”

Attend the grand re-opening, Saturday, April 15

For the past two weeks, Neighbors has been conducting a soft opening. The grand re-opening is Saturday, April 15 from Noon to 9PM. 

Activities lined up for the day include:

• Music
• Face painting + balloon animals between 1PM and 3PM
• Food from 2 Men and a Pig, beginning at 5PM 

What’s New

According to Walker, Neighbors is adding a few attractions to the menu and space.

One of the most anticipated additions is the self-serve candy wall. 

“We’re adding a self-serve candy wall. There is a $3 bag, $5 bag or $10 bag that you can fill up with whatever you want. It’s five different types of gummy candies and 10 different kinds of hard candies,” described Walker.

Another new and must-try item will be milkshakes.

The milkshakes were the biggest surprise during Neighbors’ soft opening, according to Walker. So much so, he is purchasing more milkshake machines because of their popularity. The ice cream shop will also offer dairy-free and vegan milkshake options as well as a wide range of floats.

Shop hours

Ready to visit Neighbors? Beginning next week, the ice cream shop will be on the “school hours” schedule. Visit during these times: 

• Mondays-Thursdays, 3-7PM
• Fridays, 3-9PM
• Saturdays, Noon-9PM
• Sunday, 12-7PM

When summertime hits, hours will change to 7 days a week, Noon to 9PM daily.  

Make sure to follow Neighbors on Instagram and Facebook for more info and special events ahead.

Are you planning to visit Neighbors in West Homewood this Saturday? Share your favorite photos by tagging us on social media at @bhamnow.