"[Eiffel Waffle in Chicago] was nothing unusual, but once we went there, about fifteen of us, we all ended up talking about the ice cream instead of anything else," he said. 

After inquiring about the franchise, Ahmad received a call from the owners of the Chicago-based stores, who asked whether he’d be interested in opening a location in Michigan. The process for opening this shop took about a year. 

"It was a long process where you would have to sign the contracts, look for a place where you live, so it took us some time, and then eventually this year, around March, we signed a lease," he said. 

Ahmad, who used to work for MSU and calls East Lansing home, said the location will provide students with another ice cream shop like the MSU Dairy Store, but unlike the MSU Dairy Store, it will be off campus and offer opportunities for students to enjoy sweet treats.

Something different about Eiffel Waffle Creamery is its homemade ice cream. 

"They make their ice cream in-house at every store just to make sure that the quality is sustained throughout all the stores, so they don’t have to ship the ice cream from one place to another," Ahmad said. 

Students should expect to see Daniyal Nawaz running the store, making ice cream, overseeing operations, assigning tasks to employees, and taking inventory. She will be "taking care of everything that’s included in running a business," she said. 

Nawaz is a baker and owns a cottage business, but has never had a storefront. She said she hopes Eiffel Waffle Creamery will be a place for students to hang out and enjoy the dessert. 

"If they had a stressful day, they can come eat dessert or celebrate their small wins," Nawaz said.

With a capacity of 50 people, 11 tables, and countertops to sit at, Ahmad said students are expected to have a welcoming atmosphere to talk about their days and hang out. 

"We picked a location with a lot of students. On game days, everyone is out eating something, but there was one missing piece – ice cream. Now they won’t have to go all the way to campus to get MSU Dairy ice cream," he said. 

The creamery will feature colorful products, mostly ice cream, including its signature bubble waffle. Still, it will also offer refreshers, espresso-infused ice cream, smoothies, and a combination of refresher and ice cream-based products. 

They will also offer "Flavors of the Month," unique flavors available for a limited time, Ahmad said. One in mind is Dubai chocolate: "That is kind of really in these days," Ahmad said. 

"MSU students should expect a very fun place where they can come in and hang out. We’re not a coffee shop, but we’re trying to create a similar vibe where people don’t just come in to eat ice cream and leave," Ahmad said. 

The shop will be located in front of Insomnia Cookies at 115 Bailey St.