Eastsiders will be able to find another Molly Moon’s location in Bellevue this summer as the popular ice cream shop expands on the Eastside.
The homemade ice cream shop had been awaiting an opportunity to open a sister shop to Redmond’s location for months when a landlord reached out in January, offering a walk-up scoop shop at 10045 N.E. Street near Bellevue Downtown Park. Currently, the shop has completed the permitting phase and will likely open in July with a special grand opening event that will offer free scoops for kids.
“I’m just excited to be able to have a shop closer to where a lot of customers come from,” said founder and CEO Molly Moon Neitzel.“The business owners I’ve talked to are all really, really excited about it as well.”
The location will be designed by DuHamel Architecture and constructed by an in-house team lead by Neitzel’s father, Kevin Neitzel. While the shop is only 200 square feet, it will feature the full ice cream menu, seasonal flavors in cones and cups, Molly’s Favorite Sundae and pints.
“I’m super excited for Molly Moon’s to be a part of the historic Bellevue community,” Neitzel said. “I’ve contemplated opening a shop near the park for many years and now it’s finally happening. I can’t wait to see families and Downtown Bellevue residents hanging at the park or strolling the neighborhood with their cones and sundaes.”
According to an official statement, Neitzel believes it’s imperative that all of her employees have living wages and equitable benefits, no matter where the next shop opens its doors. The Bellevue location will offer about a dozen jobs.
Molly Moon’s, as an employer, promotes its starting wages, offering $18 per hour and $23.50 per hour for scoopers and shift leaders, respectively. These rates will be offered at the Bellevue location along with medical, dental and vision benefits, subsidized ORCA transit cards and 12 weeks of paid family leave for employees bringing new children home through birth, fostering, or adoption for both men and women.
“Our jobs are different from a lot of jobs in the food industry on the Eastside,” Neitzel said. “I’m so excited to bring Molly Moon’s to Bellevue. I love the diversity in the families we’ve met here already.”
