From the street, the store’s sign still says Jack’s Sweets and Treats.
From the parking lot, customers can see a new sign — Morgan’s Sweets and Treats.
The original owner, Jack Rocha, spent more than 20 years behind the counter, scooping ice cream onto a frozen slab, preparing mix-ins and baking cookies, but Morgan won’t be doing that for a simple reason.
Morgan is a little girl.
Jack’s Sweets and Treats, a longtime Via Montana Shopping Center staple, is becoming Morgan’s Sweets and Treats. AMBER HAIR amber.hair@fresnobee.com
She’s the daughter of the new owner, John Orellana, who bought the shop from Rocha at the beginning of October. Rocha opened the shop almost 22 years ago.
“It was a good time and I found a great buyer,” Rocha said.
Before the store was Jack’s Sweets and Treats, it was Marble Slab. Rocha originally opened the business as a part-time venture while working at Wonder Bread.
When Wonder Bread declared bankruptcy and shuttered many of its bakeries, Rocha decided to make Marble Slab a full-time endeavor.
Marble Slab was the first business to open in Via Montana Shopping Center, and Rocha has seen dozens of businesses come and go in the time he’s been there.
“I think I was open a month before Yosemite Ranch,” Rocha said.
Rocha has also been along for the ride as the Marble Slab Creamery franchise has been bought and sold several times over the years. After Marble Slab Creamery was acquired by FAT Brands in 2021, Rocha decided to split from the larger franchise and name the business after himself.
Over the years Rocha estimates he hired more than 1,000 employees at his shop. The majority of those employees were 16-year-olds; he specifically hired people of that age because those employees stayed with him the longest. Over time, he got to watch the employees grow up, graduate high school and college, get married and bring their children into the shop where they once worked.
“I’ve been to a lot of weddings and seen a lot of baby showers,” Rocha said.
He decided to sell to Orellana after hearing what Orellana plans to do with the place. Orellana owns JDO ILS Program, an independent living skills agency funded by Central Valley Regional Center, and his wife, Erin, is a special education instructional assistant with Clovis Unified School District.
The two of them are turning Morgan’s Sweets and Treats into a business where special needs adults can gain work experience, build confidence and become more independent.
Morgan’s Sweets and Treats is named after the new owners’ daughter, Morgan. AMBER HAIR amber.hair@fresnobee.com
In an Oct. 4 Instagram post, the Orellanas laid out their plan for the future of the shop.
“The ice cream shop and the staff you know and love will remain the same,” the business posted. “There will simply be a few new faces joining our Morgan’s family as we begin this exciting new chapter.”
Rocha was so impressed by the new business plan that he refused to haggle on the shop’s sale price — and offered to help Morgan’s Sweets and Things through the transition period.
“Give me a free cookie, and I’ll be good,” Rocha said.
This story was originally published November 13, 2026 at 9:27 AM.
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Amber Hair
The Fresno Bee
Amber Hair (they/them) is the food and restaurants reporter and influencer. Amber has been in professional journalism for more than a decade, writing for outlets like the Orlando Sentinel, The Villages Daily Sun, the Pacific Coast Business Times and others. In their spare time, they enjoy going to concerts, reading and spending time with their cats.
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