If you’re a fan of social media celebrity Certified Sampson and a lover of ice cream, then East Gates Mall was the place to be today.
Scores of eager-faced children, accompanied by their parents and guardians, flocked to the mall as Mr. Sampson was opening the second outlet for his ice cream brand, Certified Scoop.
“This particular location based on listening to the people and understanding where exactly where the demographic is and where most of it lies. And I feel like this is a nice sweet spot for people from Central area. Instead of coming to South, you can come to the East. Anybody from Arima side could come to the East instead of coming to South.”
Mr. Sampson stated he planned to open the second branch during the last week of December after opening the San Fernando outlet in August 2024.
“We’re going through a lot in the country, and I didn’t want to seem insensitive. Opening the store the same day or a day after the SOE was announced. So I decided to wait a little bit, just make sure that the right time was the right time and I felt that today was the right time.”
Minister of Youth Development and National Service, Foster Cummings, was on hand to witness the launch, said the Government is promoting local brands.
“It is important for us to build our own identity, to have our own brands, prospering and doing well, and therefore any initiative like this will receive support, as you can see, from the public, who are very proud to see their stars getting involved in business like this, but also, as a Government, we will, of course, do what we can to make sure that the right environment exists for young people to thrive.”
Managing Director of East Gates Mall, Edward Aboud, said the facility was thrilled to welcome Mr. Sampson and his fan base to the mall.
“East Gates Mall is a mall anchored by family entertainment. Soon to come, we have Dim Sum King opening, which will be a family eating experience, and then we have the bowling alley that will be opened here in just about three or four weeks.”
Certified Sampson has been producing and featuring his own brand of comedy online for about nine years and launched his brand of lollies and ice cream, Certified Scoop, last August.