Hi! Newbie here with a question if anyone is using Sno Shack

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dpayne7571
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:17 am

Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:25 am

I use to have a funnel cake concession trailer 15 years ago and did alright with it. Well I know it is late into the season, but I have a nice space that is available on my parents commercial lot with high traffic and free rent which is great and considering building a small hut or buying a small concession trailer and selling shaved ice.

A few years ago in our small town was a vendor who sold shaved ice and did well, but moved away. She sold "Sno Shack" shaved iced. I looked into this company and everything seems like they have great syrups. Wanted to get your opinion, as I ONLY want to sell the best product I can get my hands on.

Any advice would be great on who has the best syrups or who to stay away from. I live in Virginia if that helps.

Thanks and looking forward to chatting with others.

David
ShaveIce
Posts: 517
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:53 am
Location: Honolulu,HI
Contact:

Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:34 am

Hello David, welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have a good location and plan. Next would be to find the right product. Sno Shack is a known company but they mainly sell sno cones. Is this what you are targeting to? Shave ice on the other hand is a bit different due to the shaving texture and the machine that is used. If you want to go the shave ice route, a finer machine would be recommended.

As for best flavors goes, I would recommend giving us a try (shaveicesupplies.com). We have great flavors and tons of positive reviews on our service, response, and products. Try a few reputable vendors out and then decide which route you would like to take. Keep us updated.
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dpayne7571
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:17 am

Wed Jul 24, 2019 3:51 pm

Thanks for that information.

I guess I have a lot more to learn as I didn't know there was a difference between shaved ice and a sno cone......

I'll start googling to find out what makes these different.

Thank you!
David
mrjosco
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:38 am

Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:45 am

I am not sure describing "Sno Shack" as 'snow cones' is really accurate. Most Sno Shack vendors use a block ice shaver machine. The machine is nearly identical in basic operation as a sno wizard or southern snow block ice shaver. In fact, I think the block shaver machines are manufactured for Sno Shack by Southern Snow down in LA. The only difference is the shell and the addition of a foot pedal for hands-free operation. In fact, the block machines actually use the same blades as a sno wizard or southern snow block ice shaver. These are traditionally used for SnoBalls style. The block ice machines make great texture, but do not shave ice as nicely as a Swan type machine - but they do shave ice much better than any cube shave... including the HATSUYUKI cube shavers. So unless HATSUYUKI shavers are also not "shave ice" and are just 'snow cones' then that isn't really an accurate distinction.

Sno Shack block shaver machines can't quite make the same texture as a Swan, but they CAN make the product at a much faster pace. Their block shaver machine would be like a hybrid between a cube shaver (lower quality, faster speed) and a block shaver.

I personally use a Swan machine for my permanent location - where traffic is steady, but not overwhelming - and a sno shack shaver for events - where the quality is a little lower but I can keep up with the pace of an event. I have one event where I serve about 500 servings in 4 hours. You can't do that with a Swan.

As for flavors - that is a taste thing. I buy my flavors from several vendors - including shaveicesupplies. I pay a lot more to get HTK strawberry concentrate because it is so darn good!

DISCLAIMER: I buy from multiple vendors and I own both SWAN and SNO SHACK machines. I also have a SNO SHACK hut, but I do not sell under their name/brand because I do not use exclusively their flavors.
BruceSannino
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 2:18 am
Location: Rehoboth Beach Delaware

Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:57 am

Hi David, welcome to the shaved ice world. I see your first post was back in July. I just ran across it today. I'm in Rehoboth Beach Delaware where I had a shaved ice kiosk. Before that I had a shaved ice trailer in Annapolis. Right now, I bought a 1988 Chevy P30 chassis aluminum body step van I'm building out to concentrate on events. Just some information follows. If you search my name on this forum you'll find most of what I have to say here, likely in more detail.

I've only used the vertical shaver sold by several outlets including Great Northern. It's got several draw backs but it's a diesel and less than $150.00. Look at one of my other post for details but let me say here, with the modifications I noted you'll get the best value in a block SHAVER! Bite the cash bullet and buy two. In fifteen years of shaving ice with this shaver I've never had a problem but it's easy to imagine what a disaster a shaver breakdown would be. I had a Kold-Kiss 12 VDC shaver but it made ice the consistency of pea gravel. New Orleans/Baltimore snowball grade stuff. Like several high grade, (and high priced) shavers it takes bag ice. Very convient in every respect but no matter what, not "shaved". To drive home my point, Snowie, one of the big guns in the bizz, has introduced a block shaver. On the subject of Snowie, like HTK, Snowie is incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. The Snowie Webinars are a font of good information. It takes considerable patients to wade through but the gold is in there. I bought my concentrate from 800 Shaved Ice in North Carolina. I try to give my customers good value and a quality product but I'm no James Beard of shaved ice. 800 Shaved Ice gave me good value good service and they carry a flavor people around here like. That flavor is Egg Custard. I relable it Key West Sunset and people love it. By the by, I make a big deal of free samples, I use a little soufle cup and a little sample spoon. I want to get my shaved ice in their hand. And I always try to up sell. If the COGS for a $3.00 eight ounce is twelve cents, the COGS for a $5.00 large is only fourteen cents. LIKE DUH! I gave up on toppings and add in's. To much trouble and to slow. Especially marshmallow cream. It's worse than the tar baby. It gets all over everything. If you tell people your adding Swedish fish, ya gotta have Swedish fish on hand. Add fifty cents to this sale or sell another cup. LIKE DUH! Never buy ready to use syrup. Lots of information on that in eailer post but the short version is, buy a turkey frier kit. Install a petcock in the bottom of the pot and cook up your own syrup. Use the concentrate you like best. By the way, 800 Shaved Ice has a down loadable shaved ice business manual that's free. If they don't offer it anymore, send me your email address and I'll give you a copy. Enough for today. Shaved ice is a great little business. No expensive tooling, no floor plan inventory, no skilled labor, customers walk up to you business happy, make a happy choice and leave happy. In both of my little one and two man neigjborhood operations I cleared, took home, put in my jeans $200.00 a day. I expect make a good deal more focusing on events. We'll see.

Best regards, be safe, do good work and keep in touch.
Be safe, do good work and keep in touch.
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