By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
WALDPORT — A tiny Waldport shop is ready to satisfy big cravings for sweets, thanks to a local couple’s new venture.
“JillyBeanz” is the name of the cozy, bright blue store scheduled to open Friday in the former home of Mark’s Caramel popcorn, right next to Fresh Mexican restaurant on U.S. Highway 101. With its menu of “ice cream, sweets and cozy treats,” the 277-square-foot shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except Wednesdays.
“We’ll start out selling most Tillamook ice cream, plus other brands, but we hope to eventually make most of what we sell,” said Amy Anderson, a well-known figure in the Waldport arts community who is opening the shop with her husband, Greg.
Inside the candy-colored walls, customers can choose ice cream sandwiches with fresh-baked cookies, cupcakes and cotton candy, non-dairy ice cream and sorbet, hot cocoa and fresh-roasted coffee. As the weather cools, Anderson said, the menu will adapt, adding soups.
Although the shop has no customer seating, the area does offer good parking, picnic tables and gazebos at the nearby Keady Wayside. While customers enjoy the bayside setting, they can also use JillyBeanz’ free Wi-Fi.
Funding for the shop — a mix of a personal loan from Anderson’s mother, an “angel investor” and a crowd-funded loan — was finalized in late August. That was a scant four months after the idea of opening the sweets shop first occurred to her.
Date night became a business
“Greg and I would have ‘date night’ once a week at Fresh Mexican, and over the years we always talked about how nice it would be to have a little ice cream shop there” in the adjacent store that used to sell carmel corn, Anderson said. “One night after dinner I approached Gabino Juan, who owns Fresh Mexican and the little shop, if he would consider renting it to us. He lit up when we said we’d like to sell ice cream and candy there.”
The enterprise isn’t a big stretch for Anderson. Her extensive restaurant background includes management, as well as working in commercial kitchens. She has also worked as a Russian linguist with the U.S. Army, spent some 25 years in internet technology, and then pursued art. Now, her creative talents are devoted to creating marketing materials for the new shop.
The name JillyBeanz has intense personal meaning for the couple. It was their nickname for their daughter Jill, who was killed in a 2006 car accident at age 16. At the time, the Waldport community gave the couple “an outpouring of love” that they haven’t since experienced — until now.
“We want to thank the community for all their support,” in starting the new business, Anderson said. “The last time we felt this loved and supported was when our daughter died. It’s just incredible.”
At least half of the crowd-funded financing that backs JillyBeanz came from Waldport residents.
A grand opening is planned for Oct. 31, which is “completely on brand for our family,” Anderson said. “My youngest son, Calvin was born on Halloween, and Greg and I got married on his first birthday. So it seems like Halloween means beginnings for our family.”
- JillyBeanz: 310 Oregon Coast Highway, Waldport. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except Wednesdays. 541-563-2326. Email: Info@JillyBeanz.com; Website: https://jillybeanz.biz/
Yea! So glad to see the new shop of Jilly Beanz. It’s a great location for the locals as well as tourists.
Adding coffee is brilliant! Also, can’t wait for soups….and maybe a bowl/cup of chile (since there is no Wendy’s)!
Congratulations and the best of luck to you. More sweetness in the world is what we need.
Congrats on the new shop. It is very exciting and we can’t wait to visit.
Congratulations Amy and Greg. What a delightful couple you are with such a wonderful testimony as well. It will be exactly what is needed in Waldport some good, tasty soups during Fall and Winter as well as some fresh roasted coffee. Good Luck with your Jilly Beanz.