Newspaper Page Text
BUSINESS
THURSDAY, JUNE 14 - 20, 2018 • Page 17
Frozen treat
business cool in
more ways than one
BY KATHY MITCHELL
FREELANCE REPORTER
Earlier this year, Titus
Saunders left a job he didn’t
much enjoy for one he can’t
wait to get going on each
morning. “I worked for a
financial institution that
handled a lot of high-risk loans.
Most of the people I worked
with had problems I couldn’t
really help them solve. It was
very stressful,” he said.
Late one evening he was
exploring the internet and an
image of one of Kona Ice’s
bright frozen treat trucks caught
his eye. “I thought that would
be a fun way to earn a living. I
went to bed, but the next day I
thought more about the shaved
ice truck,” Saunders recalled.
Soon after, the company he
worked for closed its doors but
gave Saunders what he called
a generous severance package.
“I had some money to invest
and I knew I wanted to start my
own business. The freedom and
flexibility of being a business
owner really appealed to me.
It’s something I had always
wanted to do,” Saunders
said. He thought of the Kona
Ice truck he had seen on the
internet.
“What sold me on it was
learning that Kona lets you
give back to the community
by partnering with schools,
churches and other nonprofits.
That really appealed to me,” he
said.
“Titus shares our
commitment to giving back,”
Tony Lamb, founder and
president of Florence, Ky.-
based Kona Ice, said in an
announcement of the newly
launched business. “He wants
to have a positive influence on
the people in his community,
whether it’s new textbooks,
sports uniforms or, simply, a
smile. We are proud to have
him on board. Together, we are
excited to make a difference in
the lives of those around us.”
In addition to fundraisers,
Saunders takes his food truck
to fairs, festivals, corporate
events, neighborhood socials
and birthday parties. He also
maintains regular weekday and
weekend routes throughout his
franchise area, which includes
the recently incorporated city
of Stonecrest and the area
of south DeKalb around the
Georgia State Decatur campus
and the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation headquarters.
Saunders explained that
applicants for Kona Ice
franchises can look online
to find which zip codes are
available. “I believe these two
areas will work out well. Since
Stonecrest became a city it has
been growing and developing
at a remarkable rate. The 30034
zip code, my other area, also is
growing.”
In addition to offering
shaved ice in a variety of
flavors, including a line of
tropical and gourmet treats,
Kona Ice brings a party
atmosphere, Saunders noted.
“The truck plays fun tunes that
add to the good time,” he said.
“I was surprised to see how
much adults love this. It’s not
just for kids.”
In addition to more than 20
flavors available at the window,
which can be combined to
make hundreds of variations,
Kona has what it calls a “cool
contraption” on the side of the
truck called a Flavorwave that
allows customers to combine
tastes from 10 flavors.
Franchise owner Saunders
said he liked the fast
turnaround from application
to operation. “I applied in
February and by March I
was a business owner. I spent
March getting my paperwork
in order and on April 2,1 sold
my first shaved ice. In many
parts of the country frozen treat
businesses shut down in the
fall and reopen in the spring.
Here, you can start in March
or earlier and keep going until
Kona Ice’s bright trucks and lively music bring a party wherever they go.
Titus Saunders says his Stonecrest and south DeKalb locations are proving to be good choices for routes.
mid-November; and there are
still requests for birthday and
holiday parties even in the
winter.”
Saunders said he worked
some school events before the
school closed this year. “We are
Smart Snack approved under
federal nutrition guidelines,
which makes us welcome at
schools,” he noted. “In addition
to school fundraisers, Kona Ice
is often invited to field days and
other special events at school.
Sometimes principals ask us
to—instead of giving a share of
profits to the school—come and
make treats for the teachers on
Teacher Appreciation Day.”
Now that the calendar is
close to officially turning to
summer, Saunders anticipates
his frozen treats will be even
more popular. “It’s great to
work at a business where
people are always happy to see
you coming,” Saunders said.
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