ABOUT US
Welcome to The Nutty Squirrel Gelato, your Maple Valley neighborhood gelato shop! We are a locally-owned family business with one goal – to share our love of gelato with our friends and neighbors in Maple Valley. We make our gelato and sorbetto right in the store, using only the freshest, tastiest ingredients. Stop by and take a peek into our kitchen, where we are hard at work creating our creamy gelato and mouth-watering sorbettos. The Nutty Squirrel is a fun, family-friendly place where friends and neighbors can take a break from their busy schedule to gather and enjoy a fresh, wholesome treat. Our shop is designed for adults & kids alike, with a relaxed atmosphere, kid’s corner, and a variety of flavors and right-sized portions to satisfy every appetite.
MEET THE OWNERS
Maple Valley resident Amy met Alev in 2008, and quickly discovered a shared love for family, friends, and gelato. After spending countless hours driving to Seattle for a weekend gelato fix, Amy decided that the time had come to bring fresh, artisan gelato to Maple Valley, and The Nutty Squirrel Gelato was born. Amy is a busy Maple Valley mom of three active kids. When they moved to Maple Valley in 2008, her and her family instantly fell in love with the beautiful surroundings, friendly people, and family values embodied in Maple Valley. "When I saw an opportunity to bring gelato to our community, I knew that it would be a perfect fit. I trained at Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University in the art of gelato making, and you will find me in the Nutty Squirrel kitchen creating our fresh gelato and sorbetto."
Alev lives in Seattle, with her hubby, 2-year-old son and white fluffy dog. While Alev spent three months in Rome studying architecture; indulging in a scoop of gelato quickly became her daily routine. Soon after her return home, Alev's family opened a gelato shop in Seattle. "I am excited to share our favorite family treat with Maple Valley."
SO, WHAT’S WITH THE NAME?
We are often asked about our unusual name. Many gelato shops have fancy Italian names that honor gelato’s Italian heritage. We tried on a few of those names, but decided that they just weren’t “us.” We knew that we wanted our name to reflect our community as well as our product. The “Nutty” in our name represents some of our gelato flavors, many of which are made using fresh nuts like hazelnut, pistachio, and peanuts. The “Squirrel” represents our beautiful, forested surroundings here in Maple Valley. Our name is like our shop – fun, friendly, and a little bit “nutty!”