By Elsie Scott

Joe’s Ice Cream, one of the Richmond District’s favorite small businesses, celebrated its 65th anniversary on Sunday, July 28. The details for this event were posted by Joe’s Ice Cream on social media. 

Joe’s Ice Cream is located in the Central Richmond on Geary Boulevard between 18th and 19th avenues. The exterior and parklet were colorfully arranged with balloons and decorations for its 65th anniversary. Known for its homemade ice cream, Joe’s celebrated this momentous occasion by serving free birthday cake flavored ice cream to the first 1,000 customers. 

“It’s really nice to have these events because they help build our community,” Joe’s owners Alice and Sean Kim said. “As a small business, we love working with the local schools to create new connections and relationships. We feel so happy whenever we walk around the Richmond because we always recognize and see friends and family in the Joe’s community.”

While the majority of the people at the event were neighbors from the Richmond, the celebration also attracted new people from different parts of the City. As a central food and dessert venue in the Richmond since 1959, the strong reputation and recognition of this small business continues to grow and spread through generations by families and children.

“We live in the Sunset, so we usually don’t come too often, but we always come for their events like this one,” elementary school student Zoe Quan said. “It’s cool that they are giving out ice cream today – it’s a good way to bring people together.”

Joe’s Ice Cream was previously located on the corner of Geary and 18th Avenue, where the restaurant Golden Edge Pizza is now. Although the location and owners have changed since then, Joe’s continues to be a popular business for many in the Richmond.

“I moved to the Richmond District when I was 2 years old in 1959, so Joe’s Ice cream was always our ice cream,” former Richmond District Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer said. “It has always been the ice cream place for myself and for my children. When I was supervisor, I made Joe’s a legacy business, officially recognizing the business’s long-lasting contribution to the legacy of San Francisco”.

Since the previous owner, Mutsushiko Murashige retired in 2012, Alice and Sean have made positive changes, such as its instituting a colorful parklet and adding Korean-fusion items to the menu. These new additions have improved business and have helped make it unique from other places in the area.

“Some of my most fond memories are coming to Joe’s Ice Cream at the corner location on 18th Avenue after a long school day,” James Tanner said. “I think the changes that Joe’s has made since it moved to this location are very elevating and a lot for the better. For example, they have increased the menu offerings and included new flavors of ice cream that didn’t even exist when I was a kid. Also, the store is a lot more colorful and very inviting. I feel like the changes that Joe’s has made really engage the community and brings it as a gathering place and makes it more open and inviting.”

Joe’s hosts several events that outreach to new customers and also to build community among children and youth in the Richmond. Each month, children can participate in a coloring contest to win free hand-packed ice cream. Joe’s also supports local schools through auctioning the selection of “flavor of the month.” In addition, Joe’s presence at the Heart of the Richmond Night Market allowed outreach to new customers, as well as offered a tasty dessert.

“It’s just so great that they are a fiber of the community. And that’s really important for small businesses to continue in the community,” Joe’s customer Mary Lum said. “The Kim family is just amazing – not just their business but the fact that they are supportive of the entire Richmond as well.”

Within the next five years, Joe’s may face many serious challenges, since the building is at risk of demolition. Through public hearings, Joe’s depends on the support of the community for the strength and survival of their business. 

“We are very thankful for our neighbors for the support and donations that we have received for our business,” Alice and Sean Kim said. “Many members of our community, such as neighbors, church members and local schools have been a big help for us in moving our business forward.” 

Learn more about Joe’s Ice Cream at https://www.joesicecream.com.