Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Biga.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved ice cream as a treat because it ticks so many boxes on the scale of hunger vs craving. Ice cream hits because it’s an experience you crave for creamy texture, sweetness, crunchiness, chocolate dominance, fruitiness, or richness. Corvallis was missing a neighborhood scoop shop where you could grab a treat to enjoy on the riverfront. I was already just down the street running Taco Vino, a funky taco shop where we play this same game on your palate, and got lucky enough to find a great 1st St. spot on the park for Sugar J’s. We’ve also been really dedicated to the community of people who want to know what is actually in their food. Good quality ice cream with fresh made ingredients suits our town. Along the way I have been fortunate enough to find great people to work there and create incredible ice creams of their own design and great staff to keep the line moving.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The original start date for Sugar J’s was Summer of 2020, so if you loved that period of time during Covid, then I’d say it was ideal… about a year later we actually pulled it off. The community was great and gave us lots of love and support, so it was easy to keep improving. Winters in the first couple of years were a real unknown, and we stayed busy creating baked treats. But ultimately we stuck to our mission: ice cream. ice cream. ice cream. coffee. ice cream. A lot of lessons were learned about what sold and didn’t, for instance it turns out Corvallis doesn’t want a big bowl of fishsauce and lime flavored spicy smoked cheesecake ice cream…noted Corvallis, noted.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I aim for food, fun, and laughs, and I’ve always found they pair well together. I’ve been a chef for a little over 20 years and my fondest memories have all three. I have been lucky to travel a lot of the world over my years, and those experiences have helped shape my palate. I’m always amazed at how much fusion food is out there, and to me it’s just what makes sense. Figure out how to make all your favorite foods and combine them into one place. But, as we already discussed; fish sauce, smokey, ice cream…know your boundaries.
Any big plans?
No big plans except to keep making ice cream and tacos in the future. But, ask me again next week, never know what could change!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sugarjscorvallis.com
- Instagram: @sugarjscorvallis
