MJ’s Gelato has been a staple of downtown Norfolk for the past couple of years, offering gelato and boba drinks while providing customers with a cozy spot to hang out and chill.
In a Facebook post last month, current owners Steve and Karen Carlsen announced that they made the difficult decision to sell MJ’s and find someone to whom to hand over the reins of the shop.
He explained that it was a family decision, with his oldest child going off to college, him having another job and his wife deciding that she couldn’t run it anymore. He said that finding a new owner is a priority for them.
MJ’s Gelato was opened in 2019 by Pat and Jodi Ronspies. Carlsen said his wife, Karen, was interested in working again after not working for some time. When they saw the listing, they were instantly interested.
Carlsen said this was the first time that he or anyone in his family had owned a small business and that it was a huge learning experience for him and his kids. He shared that when they first bought it, everyone in the family put money into it.
“It was a great learning experience for all of my children, at least to know just something they wanted to do, they could,” Carlsen said. “… That was our initial plan, to have a real-world experience of learning how to be self-employed.”
The Carlsens put in time and effort to make MJ’s a cozy and accommodating place, remodeling the inside of the store.
They also put up an artistic and attractive menu, along with a mural reflecting the Carlsen family’s background: Hawaii. Maryland and Texas designs and a Coast Guard anchor, just to name a few. Both were designed by local artists.
They also improved the food offerings, including making their own waffle cones and other baked goods.
“A lot of love went into this, a lot of blood, sweat and tears and before us, the owners also put a lot of time into it,” Carlsen said.
Carlsen said operating MJ’s is not as simple as paying employees to do the work, but instead dealt with building a relationship with the Norfolk community.
“A small business in a small town is relationship based,” Carlsen said. “… It creates a buzz, it creates a personal relationship with it.”
When asked what his favorite part of operating the store was, Carlsen said he would miss the smiles of kids coming in and trying the gelato.
“It was absolutely fun, in the sense of knowing that we provided something to the community that was (new),” Carlsen said. “There’s no gelato shop anywhere else around.”
Carlsen said he’d love to find an owner who is truly passionate and dedicated to working to keep MJ’s open. He’d want someone who will take advantage of the opportunity.
“That’s what I want to do for somebody else,” Carlsen said. “I want to be able to pay it forward to somebody that I just know, I get their spirit, I can tell that they’ll take advantage of this opportunity. Do better for themselves and their family.”
Carlsen said MJ’s reopened last Saturday and plans to remain open until a new owner is found.