10/18/2026
We’d like to introduce you to someone pretty special.
Meet Joe.
Our very first PNW Cheesecake Employee of the Month.
Joe is 69 years young and has lived above our new storefront for over 30 years.
If you’ve spent much time in downtown Sumner, chances are you’ve seen him sitting on the stoop outside our window, greeting people and keeping an eye on the neighborhood. He’s nosey in the good kind of way.
From the day we got our keys, Joe made it clear he’d be looking out for us too.
Yesterday, at Nightmare on Main Street, Joe asked if it would be okay for him to sit in his usual spot outside our store.
Of course it was. But why just let him watch?
So we handed Joe our bucket of Halloween candy and asked if he’d like to help us pass it out.
You guys. THE JOY ON THIS MAN’S FACE. 🥹
For HOURS, Joe greeted everyone who walked by. Did he give away our entire months worth of candy? Yes. Was it worth it? 100 times a yes.
He handed out candy to EVERYONE and would say “THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUMNER!”
When we told him Squish didn’t like scary things on Halloween so he’d be at the store a lot ‘hiding’, he said “People would scare me as a kid and I didn’t like it either. I understand. He can sit with me, and we will talk about Mario and not scary things, is that ok?”
Matt was running the booth, our daughter was helping work for another vendor and Kimber was running circles.
What you see in this clip is Joe “keeping marek safe”…
By the end of the night, our family had made a decision.
Joe belongs on our team. Joe is family.
So, the first person to get merch is Joe. He said he’d love some PNWCC T-shirts to wear.
Done.
So then we asked if he’d consider being our Santa this Christmas, handing out candy canes.
His response?
“OH, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT!” 😭
So, Sumner, meet our guy.
If you see Joe sitting outside our storefront, please say hello. He loves this town, he loves its people, and we think he’s going to be one heck of a Santa Claus.
He also said he was dressing up as a Viking this Halloween, so look out for that!
Welcome to the PNW Cheesecake family, Joe. ❤️
Stay weird. Be different. Do GOOD.