FOLSOM, Calif. — A Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop is slated to open next year in Historic Folsom.
Napa natives Justin and Amy Pierce plan to open their first franchise location by April 2025 at 711 Sutter St., and the scoop shop will replace café Seasons 916, according to Justin Pierce.
The Pierces, both 39, moved from Napa to El Dorado Hills in 2019 to send their daughters to better schools, he said. Having spent yearslong careers in the wine industry, the couple also examined other employment options.
“We are at a point in life where we want to create our own success and our own future,” Pierce said.
After deciding to start a business, they explored opening wine shops as that’s where they were most comfortable, he said. In that search, the Pierces realized there isn’t a local Ben & Jerry’s.
“We used to frequent Ben & Jerry’s where we used to live,” he said. “Once we realized the closest scoop shop is Thunder Valley and Napa…we thought it’d be just a really cool opportunity and product to get behind.”
Justin Pierce then flew to Vermont to meet with ice cream corporate, where he said the company welcomed him and his wife into the family. The couple has experience with customer service, in the kitchen and leading staff, but they have not yet owned their own business, according to Pierce.
“There’s always risks when trying something new,” he said. “I think people will be really receptive to the scoop shop and the product, so I don’t have fears about the community welcoming us in.”
Folsom’s the cherry on top
Pierce said his family loves Folsom and is excited to be a part of the Historic District scene.
“When we first started exploring the idea of moving, we really wanted to move to Folsom,” he said. “The first day we came looking, we went to Old Town. We really liked it and spent time there as a family…The soonest something came available on Sutter (Street), we couldn’t have thought of a better spot.”
Justin and Amy Pierce can make their April 2025 opening goal if they keep in line with their ideal timeline including design, renovation and training phases, he said.
Depending on the Sutter Street location’s success, Pierce said he thinks there’s an option to expand.
“If things develop on the east side of Highway 50, that’d be an interesting place to move if the business allows it to,” he said.
