At Sugar J’s, the ice cream is handmade and the flavors change every few weeks, but nostalgia is always on the menu.
Business owners John Sobolewski and Jason Biga opened Sugar J’s in Corvallis three years ago and now have a second location in Albany at 214 Second Ave.
Downtown scene
On the first day of the grand opening on Friday, August 23, customers at Sugar J’s lined up to sample the various flavors using metal teaspoons, and employees filled cones with ice cream with names like “Cookie Monster” and “Fluffer Nutter.”
A large mural of an astronaut holding an ice cream cone hovers above the seating area, while another mural features pop art pieces in bright shades of purple, pink and green by the door.
Biga curates the space carefully.
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Nathan Burns shows off some of the current ice cream flavors, like Cookie Monster, Peach Balsam, and Madagascar Vanilla. Burns likes to come up with different flavors to add variety and variety to the menu.
Jess Hume-Pantuso
The colors he chose have fun names like “grape lemonade,” while the benches and woodwork are made of walnut because the warm tones and texture remind him of chocolate ice cream, Biga said.
“We just wanted to bring something we love to Albany,” Biga said.
Sobolewski only considered the idea of opening a second location in Albany after observing some changes downtown, he says. Sidewalks have been widened and there are plans for the Riverfront Project, the city’s multimillion-dollar project to connect downtown to the river, create parking improvements and better accessibility.
“Albany’s downtown scene could outshine Corvallis,” Sobolewski said.
Sobolewski is co-owner of TacoVino, a restaurant in Corvallis, he said. In the last year, he has started driving across the bridge more often to eat in Albany, he said.
Using a special cone tool, the fresh, crispy waffles can be turned into freshly baked waffle cones, which are then filled with Sugar J’s special ice cream flavors.
Jess Hume-Pantuso
When the city invests in itself, it signals that it is investing in the businesses and people who live in the city, he said. Overall, he said, the city has a reputation that is friendly to small businesses, and there are some stable restaurants downtown.
His goal is to bring “something beautiful” to downtown Albany.
“Ice cream is special, it’s nostalgic,” said Sobolewski. “Opening an ice cream shop is a dream I’ve always had.”
Almost everyone you ask will probably have a nostalgic connection to ice cream from their childhood, Sobolewski said. He himself has vivid memories of eating ice cream with his grandfather.
A scoop of nostalgia
When head ice cream maker Nathan Burns has new ideas for ice cream flavors, he often comes back to this question: What was your favorite food as a child?
Sugar J’s offers a variety of homemade ice cream flavors, including this giant scoop of peach balsamic for the more adventurous. But they also have their own versions of popular flavors like Cookie Dough for those looking for the classic.
Jess Hume-Pantuso
One ice cream flavor he developed was called “After-school Snackies” and was based on his favorite childhood snack: PB&J crackers. The flavor was a salted ice cream with raspberry jam, peanut butter and butter brickle, a type of crunchy, buttery brown toffee.
The idea for the name came from his son, who likes to use the word “snacky”; many of the flavor names are inspired by his son, Burns said.
Another flavor he developed is called “Saturday Morning Cartoons.” Featuring cereal-flavored ice cream and Lucky Charms marshmallows, the flavor captures the feeling of waking up early as a kid to eat breakfast and watch cartoons, he said.
Sometimes Burns gets an idea when he tries new dishes. The staff have a group chat where they share ideas, he said. Sometimes the name comes before the taste.
And “sometimes it just hits me in the middle of the night,” he said.
Some flavors are always the same: chocolate, vanilla, cookie. Some flavors are so popular that employees get emails and comments demanding that popular items be put back on the menu, Burns says with a laugh.
Sugar J’s has opened a new location in downtown Albany, spreading love, cheer and creative ice cream flavors.
Jess Hume-Pantuso
One of the most popular flavors is “Thiccc Mint,” an ice cream with the popular Girl Scout cookies. Other flavors include honeycomb, caramel, cinnamon, jam, and teas like Earl Grey and chamomile.
Operators hope to eventually offer different flavors at each location, Burns said.
“There are almost no limits to creativity,” he said.
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Shayla Escudero holds a Master of Science in Journalism from the University of Southern California. She covers Albany City Hall and Linn County. It gives her great joy to tell people exciting stories and to draw attention to injustices. She can be reached at [email protected]
