BJ Buckets gives the scoop on ice cream

Aggie Ice Cream and Charlie’s Supreme Ice Cream weren’t always the best frozen dessert shops on the block. Ice cream is becoming an increasingly competitive market in Logan, as more and more entrepreneurs are looking for business.

BJ Buckets is the 10th ice cream shop to open in Logan and is working to improve marketing and sales.

“We wanted to open up a shop for our children to work at, and we decided that ice cream would be fun,” said Mark Jorgensen, owner of BJ Buckets.

Jorgensen said that BJ’s is unique because of it’s name and product. The shop serves 16 flavors of Farr’s ice cream, as well as various flavors of Dole Whip, a dairy-free sorbet.

“We have some cool specialty items,” said Jayme Warner, an employee of BJ Buckets. “We have a partnership with Great Harvest, so we use their brownies and cookies for brownie bombshells and cookie creations, where we put ice cream on top of the brownie or on top of the cookies.”

James Clawson, owner of the Great Harvest located on Center Street, suggested that BJ Buckets open behind them to circulate more business downtown. Jorgensen hopes that Great Harvest customers will buy and migrate back for ice-cream.

“Our location is also a drawback,” Jorgensen said. “We’re not on a street front so we have to do more advertising to get people back here.”

BJ buckets has used Instagram, Facebook and other social media to promote their business, but are still trying to compete with more visible ice cream shops such as Charlie’s Supreme Ice cream.

“Any time you start out a new business it’s difficult,” said Lorraine Earl, owner of Charlie’s. “The bottom line is work. All the advertising in the world will not make business go if you don’t have great employees, great service and a great product.”

With Charlie’s as competition, BJ Buckets has worked to create a bright atmosphere where students and families can feel at home.

“The atmosphere is really cool,” said Jayme Warner, an employee of BJ Buckets. “It’s almost like hipster, and the prices aren’t bad at all.”

Customers buy their ice cream in buckets of ounces. BJ Buckets’ lowest-priced item is a kids’ bucket (or two scoops) of ice cream for $1.30. The parlor also offers date night buckets and taco Tuesday specials, where ice-cream is scooped into a waffle taco with a free topping.

Jorgensen said that along with creating a fun and friendly environment, his family would like their business to be one that gives back. All tips donated to BJ Buckets are sent to charity foundations in Central America to help provide food for orphanages.

“We are going to do a donation bucket on our wall, and all the tips will go to help the orphans,” Jorgensen said.

Although the location isn’t ideal, BJ Buckets owners and employees hope that their quality family service makes every customer feel at home.

“I would like BJ Buckets to be a place where students and families like to just come and be,” Jorgensen said.

BJ Buckets is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and is located on 55 W. Center St.

—kayla1swenson@gmail.com