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Couple of Scoops’ grand opening is in a couple of days

Noon on a Wednesday is a great time for some ice cream. Or at least the dozen or so people who were having dessert before lunch on June 3 at Couple of Scoops Ice Cream and Candy thought so.

Couple of Scoops, which employs adults with special needs, will celebrate its grand opening from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 6. But it’s been open since May 31 as staff members ramp up for the big day.

No publicity? No problem. Owner Jim Ciaciuch said ice cream-craving customers have lined up before the doors even open most days this week.

Young customers make their selection at Couple of Scoops on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Photo by Vince Dice

And they’re thrilled to be there.

“Every single person I’ve seen walk in has had a smile on their face,” assistant manager Kaela Dickey said. “I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants in my life, and I’ve never seen people be so kind.”

Lemon blueberry swirl, fudgesicle brownie 

Ciaciuch has been working on plans for the ice cream and candy shop since late last year. It’s his second business that specializes in providing opportunities for adults with special needs, after Couple of Socks in Tacoma Mall.

Couple of Scoops brings the concept to Ciaciuch’s home of Gig Harbor. It’s located in the former GameStop space at 5500 Olympic Dr. suite H103, in the Olympic Village Shopping Center.

Flavors available at Couple of Scoops Ice Cream and Candy on Wednesday, June 3.

It brings some tasty ice cream, too. The Bowen family has visited the store three of the four days it’s been open and is “working on trying all the flavors,” Roy Bowen said.

Family favorites include coconut cream, lemon blueberry swirl and fudgesicle brownie.

“We have told everybody we know: ‘Have you tried Couple of Scoops yet?’ ” said Sandy Bowen, a Special Olympics coordinator. 

A passion

Along with ice cream, Couple of Scoops has a whole wall of candy bins. They have proven a popular attraction in the store’s opening days.

Dickey said one customer bought six pounds of bulk candy in a single order. Ciaciuch said he’s already had to re-order ahead of Saturday’s grand opening.

Couple of Scoops’ grand opening is Saturday, June 6. Photo by Vince Dice

That grand opening is the culmination of a dream for Ciaciuch. 

Already having founded and operated several successful small businesses, he opened Couple of Socks in Tacoma in 2023. His daughter Molly, an adult with autism, inspired him to do so.

The next step was to bring the concept to Gig Harbor, which he previously described as a town  “bursting with special-needs adults who are looking for work.”

Many of them have work now at Couple of Scoops.

“It’s not just a job for Jim. This is his passion,” Dickey said. “It’s not just about profits, it’s not just about labor costs. It’s about providing opportunity.” 

A customer scoops candy from a bin at Couple of Scoops, a new ice cream and candy store in Gig Harbor, on Wednesday, June 3. Photo by Vince Dice