Sweet Beginnings: PJ's Classic Homemade Ice Cream Brings Family Legacy and Black Joy to Seattle's Central District

VIDEO: Michelle Forbes tells Back2Besa all about PJ’s. (Converge Media / FOX13 Seattle)

By Omari Salisbury / @Omarisal - #SupportBlackBusiness

Seattle, WA - In the Central District, a new business of sweetness has emerged with deep roots in family, tradition, and a whole lot of love. PJ's Classic Homemade Ice Cream and Bon Bons, a family business with origins dating back to 2011 in Los Angeles, has finally opened in Seattle, paying homage to their mother's hometown and bringing a unique ice cream experience to the community.

Co-owned by sisters Michelle and Danielle Forbes and located at 2334 E Cherry St in the CD, PJ's is a tribute to family legacy, a celebration of Black joy, and a commitment to using local, high-quality ingredients. As Michelle Forbes, co-owner of PJ's, explains, "PJs is our family's homemade ice cream, ice cream shop." Located in the Central District, they specialize in hand-dipped bon bons, offering both vegan and dairy options.

The journey to opening in Seattle was a deeply personal one. "What brings me here to Seattle is our mom," Michelle shares. "Our mom was born and raised here, so it was only befitting to pay homage to our mother and as well as our family, who is local to the Central District." The connection runs even deeper, with their mother having attended Garfield High School and their grandmother serving as the head dietitian there. "It only felt right, and it feels good to be here," she adds.

The business's name, PJ's, is a tribute to their father, whose grandchildren call him Papa John. "Obviously, we couldn't call it Papa John's ice cream, so we shortened it and we named it after our dad. PJ," Michelle explains. Their father is the mastermind behind the ice cream recipes, particularly the "Southern Style vanilla," which Michelle describes as "full fat creamy, and it's southern. And if you know what southern ice cream is, you know what southern ice cream tastes like?"

What sets PJ's apart is their dedication to crafting everything from scratch. "We try to source as much of the ingredients locally, organic, and we, like I said, make everything from scratch," Michelle states. "So we're cracking it for the dairy. We're cracking the eggs, we're measuring the sugars. We're, you know, making sure that everything that we do is touched by our hands, nothing other than churning is made by a machine." This painstaking process reflects their core values. Their first motto, inspired by 1 Corinthians 16:14, is "Everything that you do be done in love." Michelle emphasizes, "Everything that we do, we touch, our thoughts have to be done in love, and we truly believe it's reflected in our ice cream, and we hope that it shows up within our products as well."

Their signature bon bons were born out of a desire to be different. "We decided to do bombas because it was something completely different," Michelle recalls. Inspired by their father's question about how chocolate gets around the ice cream balls, they researched and developed their unique product.

The "Southern Style" approach to their ice cream is about more than just ingredients. "There's this full bodyness to the southern-style ice cream, where it just literally takes you back," Michelle describes. "It takes them back to their childhood. It's just that flavor that takes you back to when you were young, waiting for the ice cream to stop churning at events."

For first-time visitors, Michelle recommends the "QB's nana split," a vegan banana ice cream bon bon with marshmallow fluff, dipped in dark chocolate and topped with peanuts, pecans, and cherries. "It's fire, fire, fire," she exclaims.

Michelle envisions PJ’s as a community hub. Michelle envisions programs for local students to learn about running a business. "We would love to start a program where we can bring kids from Garfield Nova or other schools in the area and have a program where we could teach them how to run a business," she shares.

The shop's location in a historically Black neighborhood adds another layer of significance. "Being part of such a rich community and also recognizing that your foundation is part of that community. It makes you feel proud to be a to be part of a legacy," Michelle reflects.

Looking ahead, PJ's has plans for expansion and new products, with a focus on sustainability. But for now, they are focused on serving their community with love. "What do you want people to take away from their interaction? Accessibility, you know, like we are here for the community," Michelle says. "I want them to take away a sense of home, familiarity and belonging, like we love this neighborhood, and we want to make sure that they take that love away."

And as for what Black joy means to her? "Black joy is unconditional love."

PJ's Classic Homemade Ice Cream and Bon Bons is not just a treat for the taste buds, but a warm embrace of family, history, and community spirit in Seattle's Central District.

Follow PJ’s on Instagram @PJsClassicCreamery