Wilmington's sweetest new business drew quite a crowd Tuesday for its grand opening.

Several hundred hungry customers visited UDairy Creamery's newest location at 815 N. Market St. during a two-hour block party under overcast skies.

The offer of free ice cream probably didn't hurt.

Among those in attendance were Gov. John Carney, Mayor Michael Purzycki, University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis and Mark Rieger, dean of UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

"I confess to one guilty pleasure in my entire life and that's ice cream," Purzycki told the crowd. "I love having the Creamery here. You're going to be a great addition."

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That's what property owner Buccini-Pollin Group was hoping when it reached out to UDairy in the hopes of bringing the renowned Newark ice cream shop to the city.

"We couldn't be more proud than to be a partner with the University of Delaware on this exciting project," said Michael Hare, BPG's senior vice president for development. "On behalf of the lactose intolerant in our community – myself included – this is a risk worth taking."

The arrival of the business has been hailed as a boon for all parties.

UD gets to bring ice cream made from university-owned Holsteins to a new market, while providing jobs to students in Wilmington-based Associate in Arts Program. BPG gets another long-term tenant in its ongoing efforts to revitalize Market Street. And the city gets another attraction that helps attract visitors and families to its main business corridor.

Like the Newark location, the Wilmington ice cream parlor – across the street from the Grand Opera House – will offer a rotating assortment of premium flavors in scoops, pints and half gallons, such as 8th & Market, a combination of chocolate ice cream, chocolate chip cookies and mini marshmallows.

The larger Market Street shop also will give UDairy Creamery room to expand its offerings with the addition of hamburgers, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and fresh produce, along with other retail items such as honey, yarn and wool blankets.

"Our goal will be to source as many ingredients as we can from the university's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources' farms and organic garden," Melinda Shaw, UDairy's operations manager told The News Journal in March. "That includes the milk in our ice cream and the beef in our burgers."

The new store will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Contact business reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.