Piggy Smalls — the pig outside of Scrumptious at 508 Main St. — gets a new coat of paint several times a year. The theme changes based on the season or the whims of the Scrumptious staff but Piggy Smalls never seems to fail in delighting guests looking for an ice cream treat or candy.
Piggy Smalls is one of three pigs owned by the Scrumptious stores. Notorious P.I.G. began the transition at the Arvada location. Scott Spears, CEO of Scrumptious, was wandering an antique store, shopping for things to add to the ambiance. He came across a metal pig and had to have it. That was 15 years ago.
When the company expanded to include a food truck, a third pig was added to the mix, Pig Papa.
When the tradition began, Spears painted the pigs on his own. He has since delegated the task to store staff. Two years ago, the Arvada store decided to see what a new generation could do and partnered with a neighboring elementary school. Students at the school design a new theme and Scrumptious’ staff chooses a winner.
Most of the time the staff struggle to choose just one and combine the pieces, said Audrey Potter, marketing director for Scrumptious. The students are asked to work together to finalize the design.
Piggy Smalls in Longmont, is painted by Melissa Lovi, manager of Scrumptious in Longmont.
According to Potter, every five years the team has to strip all of the paint off of the pigs due to the thick paint used to decorate them. She said the task makes the pigs look like a jaw breaker candy because of all the layers of paint.
Scrumptious is dreaming up new ways to get the community involved in creating new decorative themes. Potter said some ideas have included partnering with a local school and having the community vote on themes. So far nothing has been decided.
