Juice Bar With Middle Eastern Treats Opens On Chapel

It’s Cezerye, pronounced jehz-air-yeh. It’s made with carrots, nuts, and sugar, and it’s coated with coconut flakes. It conjures an ancient city of mosques and narrow streets, the sounds of a bustling marketplace, the warm, dry Mediterranean air. 

“This is only from Latakia, only we do this,” said Ammar Chekhess who, along with his partner, Mohammad Ali, recently opened Marshmallow, at Chaps Grille, on Chapel Street near Park. Chekhess’ wife, Lamia Mohammad, as well as her friend Jasmeen Hasar, run the business. 

The shop offers an array of homemade crepes and waffles, fruit salads, and natural and health juices, as well as an assortment of coffees and desserts.

Including Cezerye. The balls of the Syrian treat on the top shelf of the display case represent the dream Chekhess has been incubating for the last three years.

Chekhess, 28, was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the youngest of four sisters and brothers. His family hails from Latakia, the principal port city of Syria, where Cezerye is produced. 

“They came in 1989 for better opportunities, but they never got papers, so we went back to Syria in 2010,” he said, amid the aroma of baking crepes wafting across the bright-lit space. He was 15. Following the government’s crackdown in response to the Arab Spring uprising, Chekhess and his older brother fled to the United Arab Emirates. The rest of his family received refugee status in Germany. 

Because he alone had American citizenship, he landed in Brooklyn at 20. He worked as a dishwasher, at a deli counter, as an Uber driver. Then he helped out Moe Alshalpi, who operated a corner shop. They learned about a vacant space on Howe Street, Chekhess said. 

At that moment, Kristen Threatt pushed through the door with two boxes of pineapple Gorilla Lemonade.

“My man,” he said to Chekhess, dapping fists.

Threatt, co-creator of Gorilla Lemonade with Brian Burkett-Thompson, was an early patron of Andalouse Freshop, which opened on Howe in February 2021. From the start, it distinguished itself as a neighborhood staple by stocking whatever their customers needed and, as one regular put it, ​“blend[ing] with the neighborhood easy.”

One example: Chekhess’ business being the first to stock New Haven-brewed Gorilla Lemonade, and his willingness to give Threatt and Burkett-Thompson all the proceeds from lemonade sales.

“I like to support good people like Kris and Brian,” Chekhess said, referring to the duo’s pledge to donate 10 percent of the profits from each case of lemonade to their Eat Up Foundation in support of community initiatives.

While operating Andalouse and then West Rock Deli on Wilmot Road, which he and Alsalpi opened in October 2022, Chekhess was working on another plan, one ​“more healthy,” as he put it, than the two corner shops.

There are the natural juices — the Lemon & Mint Mojito, for one, the Mixed Berry Mojito, and the Carrots in Every Drop. There is Beetroot Honey and O_Flu, with orange, lemon, and ginger and Tangy Celery Breeze. 

Make no mistake; this is not solely a health food joint. 

There are crepes and waffles and cheesecake, as well as white chocolate and pistachio brownie balls and coconut balls with chocolate. There is a ​“fruit salad” dominated by swirling columns of chocolate and vanilla ice cream and featuring a Twix bar, with strawberries, kiwis, and bananas artfully arranged on the periphery.

“This is the fun of it, it’s up to the customer, whether to be healthy or not,” Chekhess said, as Alex Elsankary, longtime owner of Chaps Grille, entered the shop.

“I was trying to find someone to add something to my business, do something different in the area,” said Elsankary, who’s been offering a breakfast menu, Middle Eastern fare, including falafel, shawarma, and Kushari, as well as gyros and kebobs, since 1998. Like Marshmallow, Chaps Grille offers pick-up and delivery, as well as catering. 

In the last three months, Chekhess said he and his team have changed the look of the place. 

“Transformed,” said Gorilla Lemonade’s Threatt, as images on a muted CNN flickered from above.

There is also the addition of a circular wooden ​“photo booth” for photo ops, with colorful lights flashing and pillows, and fringed with ivy.

“That’s all them,” Chekhess said, gesturing to his wife, Lamia Mohammad, who came from Syria seven months ago, and her friend Jasmeen Hasar.

“This is theirs to run,” he said, adding that Mohammad and Hasar named the business Marshmallow because of its association with sweetness and happiness. ​“They enjoy it. They love it. This is their first job here, their first opportunity.”

To that end, Chekhess enlisted the aid of Mohammed Kalas, a professional chef in Syria. 

“He taught them how to make crepes and the chocolate treats and the other desserts,” he said. 

“Very exciting,” Mohammad said, smiling.

At that moment, Brenda, who declined to share her last name, ambled in. 

“I’d like a grilled cheese,” she told Elkansary. ​“And French fries.”

She glanced at the Marshmallow counter. ​“What’s this?” 

Learning that it was a juice bar with desserts and crepes, she ordered a strawberry smoothie.

“I’m gonna eat outside,” she said.

“I’ll bring it over to you,” said Threatt.

“Me and Ammar, we’re like brothers,” he said, as Brenda exited. ​“We support each other. It’s a great opportunity to be part of this new adventure with him.”

Plus, he said, ​“Ammar is the man, bringing his family here, giving them and also his friends the opportunity to blossom, that’s what it’s all about in our community.”

Chekhess, listening, shrugged.

“If we can help people make a life for themselves, why not?” he said, above the sound of the juicer.