Seattle’s Central District is home to PJ’s Classic Homemade Ice Cream and Bon Bons, a family run creamery blending tradition with creativity. Sisters Michelle and Danielle Forbes bring plant based and dairy options to the neighborhood, inspired by their father PJ’s ice cream-making legacy. With their signature hand dipped bon bons and deep roots in the community, PJ’s is more than just dessert, it’s a celebration of family, flavor, and local pride.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Where are you located?
We’re located in the heart of Seattle’s Central District (the CD), right on 23rd and Cherry.
Tell me a little bit about the business. How long have you been open and what was the inspiration for opening your own space?
We’ve only been open a short time, since March 22 of this year, and now it’s already August. It’s been amazing to be here in the community. My sister and I co-own the business, and our mom was born and raised right here in the Central District. She went to Garfield High School and grew up near Yesler and 23rd, so we’ve always loved this neighborhood.
Our inspiration really comes from our dad, PJ. He taught us how to make ice cream, which he learned from his dad, who learned from his mom. We originally started with just making ice cream, but then we asked ourselves, “How can we be a little different?” One day, our dad said, “How do they get the chocolate around those little ice cream balls?” And we thought, bingo, that’s it. That’s how our hand-dipped ice cream bon bons were born.
When a first-time customer arrives, could you talk a little bit about your menu?
When people walk in, we say: Welcome to PJ’s Classic Homemade Ice Cream and Bon Bons! We’re a plant based creamery that specializes in hand-dipped ice cream bon bons, which are small, bite-size scoops of ice cream dipped in chocolate. Everything is handmade right here on-site.
For our plant based ice creams, we use organic cashews, gluten free oats, and coconut cream. We like to check in right away with customers about allergies, since we’re completely dairy free in those recipes.
Our plant based flavors include The OG, Chocolate Dream (when it’s not sold out), Little Funky Drummer, Under the Seesaw Caramel, and QB’s Nanner Split.
But we also decided to be a little different, so while we’re primarily plant based, we also offer dairy options using our great-grandma classic ice cream base recipe. For those, we stick to the classics: The OG, Under the Seesaw Caramel, and a seasonal favorite, Strawberry Fields, which is our take on the Strawberry Shortcake bar from the ice cream truck.
We offer trios or pints, and this month we’re partnering with Intentionalist and BECU to feature a special trio where you can mix and match however you’d like. People have been so excited about it, and it’s given us the chance to meet so many wonderful members of the community.
Intentionalist is all about “spend like it matters,” encouraging people to support small, local businesses. Could you share why that’s important to you?
It’s extremely important to spend like it matters because it makes the consumer more intentional. You’re choosing where you spend, and that means researching the businesses you’re supporting and knowing where your dollar is going.
Small businesses aren’t big box stores. We’re everyday people who’ve chosen to take a risk and invest in our communities. For me personally, if I weren’t doing this, I’d be behind a desk, in front of a computer, and not able to connect with my neighbors face to face. Being here, I get to know who’s in our community. That’s why it matters to support local businesses.
You started this business with your sister. What were you both doing before becoming ice cream entrepreneurs?
Before this, I was an executive assistant, and before that a sound engineer. My sister is an attorney and still works a 9 to 5. Our dad, PJ, was really the silent-preneur. He taught us how to make ice cream and said, “I’ll show you, you do the rest.” So we ran with it.
And then, literally 48 hours after we opened, I got laid off from my job. If that’s not serendipity, if that’s not the universe saying, “You’re supported,” I don’t know what is. So here I am. Here we are. We can’t wait to keep growing and connecting with more people in our community.
If you wanted to give a shout-out to other brick and mortar businesses people should visit, what are some of your favorites?
There are so many. Some of the places I support and love include: Sure House Coffee, Squirrel Chops, Metier, Jerk Shack, Mina’s (a new Mediterranean falafel spot just a few doors down), Central Cafe, Fats, and Creamy Cone Cafe. I also love Umami Kushi, Communion, and The Postman, which isn’t a food place, but it’s such a unique small business doing something important in the community.
It’s been incredible to be surrounded by so many amazing small businesses, from Hip Hop is Green to all the others I didn’t get to name. We’re lucky to be part of such a vibrant community.