002: Seattleites You Should Know - Molly Moon Neitzel

002: For the past decade, there has been a specific business owner who has successfully eluded my outreach many times, especially back in my neighborhood map sales days. And when I received an email about a potential holiday collaboration with this business, I knew immediately that I needed to pitch the idea of having them as a “Seattleite You Should Know.”

I’m excited to introduce, Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and owner of Seattle’s most popular ice cream business. While doing research on Molly, the first few pages of my google search were full of news articles covering her standing up for women’s and worker’s rights, and equal pay. I was struggling to actually learn about how she started Molly Moon’s, how she created her first ice cream flavors, and how her business has grown to provide her a platform to talk about these deeper issues.

So I dug into her origin story, so I hope you like it (and crave a scoop of ice cream).

PS There’s a fun bonus at the very end of the newsletter for 5 lucky responders.

— Conner Cayson

Molly Moon Neitzel
^{Founder/Owner, Molly Moons Ice Cream}

Certain blocks of Seattle smell better than others and there are no blocks that smell better than those with a Molly Moon’s. Sweet, rich, warm, tempting and welcoming. It’s hard to not notice when nearby. If you live in Seattle you may already have your go-to order and have likely been here at least once.

The Beginnings: A Grandparent's Influence

Ice cream has always been present in Molly’s life, it is a character in itself, one she has lived with. “So I grew up eating ice cream, like every day.”

Molly was shown what it took to run a small business early on. As a child, after school, she was dropped off at her grandparent’s bar in Boise, Idaho. She collected change from the bar floor, organized it in rolls, and “learned small business operations via osmosis.” Who knows what would have happened without these small business roots.

A Middle: The Big Dipper, Politics and Motherly Advice

During college, Molly worked at the Big Dipper Ice Cream in Missoula, Montana, and she loved her job. “I worked at an ice cream shop all through college, and I loved it, I super loved it…I learned all the jobs: I was a scooper, I was, what would be here, a shift leader, I made the ice cream.” But once she graduated college Molly felt pressure to “have a real job.”

But don’t worry, this will come back around.

The importance of a mother’s advice 

Having a “real job”meant spending her twenties running the political nonprofit, Music for America, that partnered with bands and music venues to register young people to vote. “I was super passionate about that. I ran the organization. I was the executive director.” but there was a point, “I got really burnt out.” This was happening as the Obama campaign was ramping up and some of her best employees were leaving to work there. Molly, unsure of her next step, did what she often did in times of figuring things out, she called her mom. Mom told her, “Why don’t you open an ice cream shop? You know how to run a small business, you did all the jobs at Big Dipper…run your own thing and you can put your politics into it.” And Molly did just that.

Molly moved back to Seattle, worked four jobs for seven months, worked on her business plan, and experimented with recipes on her Cuisinart. When she finished her business plan she asked her friends, acquaintances and former donors to invest. In December 2007 she had raised $220,000. And in the next year she opened her first shop in Wallingford.

Going backwards to go forwards

Before opening the flagship Molly Moon’s in the Wallingford neighborhood, Molly returned to her ice cream roots. “In early spring of 2007, I called the owner of the Big Dipper and said, Hey, Charlie, I'm thinking about opening an ice cream shop in Seattle…Would you be cool with that? Would I have your blessing because I learned everything from you.” His reply, “You totally should…Do you want to come to Missoula and practice recipes on my big machine?” This was an integral part for Molly, to give respect to who had first taught her. As well, it provided her with the much needed space to translate her recipes from the small portions of the Cuisinart, to the large of an industrial machine. “So, in like June of 2007, I went out (to Missoula) for like nine days, and played around on his big Emery Thompson machine and made ice cream, and I wrote my salted caramel recipe there.”

Evolution of Flavor: The Power of Milk

Each recipe at Molly Moon’s has been rewritten countless times. “I did fine writing those first 14 recipes, but now I have 16 years of history employing trained pastry chefs who have brought their experience, education, and creativity to the table.” The intention in her ice cream goes deeper still, “We're so lucky we buy all of our dairy from Edaleen Dairy up in Lyndon…they have a herd that is strategically made up of Jerseys and Holsteins and a certain percentage of each to get the milk to taste just a [certain] way really…There's this sweet that's not too sweet and not too acidic with the right amount of fat.” This creates the “mouth feel” Molly wants. 

A Sustainable Approach

Molly Moon's is a business with a purpose. Molly emphasizes the importance of intentional decisions, from fair compensation for employees to investing in the community. Molly Moon's isn't just a dessert destination; it's a conscious choice that patrons can feel good about. 

What should I order at Molly Moons?

If you find yourself in Molly Moon’s trying to figure out what to order, Molly recommends one thing. “So for [the] last… two decades. My favorite sundae is the one you see on the board… It's called Molly's Favorite. It's our melted chocolate ice cream, with salted caramel ice cream, homemade hot fudge, candied hazelnuts that are grown in Western Washington, and whipped cream with a Chukar cherry on top.”

Molly made this sundae after working through different scoops and combos. “I eat so much ice cream.” she says, “when I was a kid and I got ice cream with my grandpa every day in the summer, it was German chocolate cake ice cream on a sugar cone. In college, it was a scoop of mocha chip ice cream. And I would make a little well with the back of the scoop on a sugar cone. And then fill the divot with caramel sauce. My current favorite, with my kids after school when I don't want Molly's Favorite, then I get our cookie dough…If you're just gonna go for a single flavor. I’d get our cookie dough, it is very different from normal cookie dough ice cream.” 

Fun Fact: The cookie dough recipe comes from Hillary Clinton’s favorite cookie recipe. I told her she should make a video telling that story.  

Molly Moon's Legacy: A Dessert Haven with Heart

Molly Moon's will satisfy your sweet tooth. But it is not just a place for delicious ice cream. It is a place to feel good about your purchase and choices.It is a business that supports its community, its employees, and works to make Seattle a better place for all. I didn’t dive too much into these last parts, but it is well documented online. If you’re curious about her impact on employee wages and advocacy, give it a quick search and you’ll find plenty.