Friday, February 29, 2008


Want to Add some Pizzazz to your Cotton Candy Business?



Kick things up a little bit this season by adding a two color cotton candy machine to your concessions business!

CottonCandyExpress.com has the only “two-color” Cotton Candy machine. While it may look like a regular Tornado machine, it actually has two spinning sugar compartments – each feeding its own heating element consecutively. Total production is a little more than 50% of a Tornado, allowing it to produce about 4 servings per minute.

So, check it out! You know that kids everywhere will go crazy when they see your floss tree full of two color cotton candy!

Thursday, February 28, 2008


Top 24 Syrup Flavors!


Whether you are just starting out in the shaved ice and snow cone business or you are a 'seasoned veteran', this is a good list of syrup flavors for you! 1-800-Shaved-ice.com has compiled its top 24 best selling flavors for you. So, without further delay...here's the list!

Top 24 Flavors:


1. Cherry: Rich Cherry Flavor. A top five seller. (dark red)
2. Grape: REAL Grape Flavor. (dark purple)
3. Blue Raspberry: Similar to our regular Raspberry, but not quite as tart. (blue)
4. Strawberry: Like biting into a delicious, ripe strawberry. (red)
5. Lemon Lime: A refreshing combination of Lemon and Lime flavoring, slightly tart. (green)
6. Pina Colada: Straight from the bartender's blender but without the alcohol. A top five flavor. (clear)
7. Root Beer: Real Root Beer taste.
8. Tiger’s Blood: Fresh fruity watermelon-strawberry taste with a hint of coconut. Popular with kids as well as adults. (red)
9. Banana: Tastes like a banana Popsicle. (yellow)
10. Bubble Gum (Blue): Flavor so real, you might try to blow a bubble. (blue)
11. Hawaiian: A blend of fruity flavors. Tastes like Tropical Punch. (red)
12. Watermelon: Like a fresh watermelon, without the seeds. (red)
13. Bahama Mama: A fruity Pina Colada flavor. (pinkish red)
14. Granny Smith Apple: VERY tart Apple Taste. Sometimes called Sour Apple. (green)
15. Orange: True, fresh squeezed Orange Flavor. (orange)
16. Cotton Candy: One taste of this and you will think you are at the county fair. (red)
17. Strawberry Cheesecake: REAL Cheesecake flavor bursting with fresh Strawberries. (red)
18. Wild Cherry: Great Cherry flavor but not quite as sweet. (red)
19. Dreamsycle: Tastes like an Orange push-up pop. (orange)
20. Margarita: Straight from the bar but without the alcohol. (bright green)
21. Black Cherry: Delicious, fruity, real Black Cherry taste. (dark red)
22. Coconut: Rich, well-rounded Coconut Flavor. (clear)
23. Blueberry: Incredible, true-to-life Blueberry Flavor. (blue)
24. Polar Punch: Cool, refreshing Arctic punch taste. (neon blue)

The flavors listed above are available in quart or gallon containers in either concentrate or ready-to-use form. In addition, the flavors offer a great variety of taste as well as color. Serve these delicious flavors and watch your shaved ice business grow!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008


Daily Closing Checklist

In addition to having a consistent opening checklist, it’s important to have your employees properly close your stand every day. The following is the closing checklist that 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com recommends using. Again, feel free to modify this checklist to properly suit your stand’s needs.

Closing (should be able to leave within 15-20 minutes of closing)

1. Turn the open/closed sign at the correct time.
2. Clean and wipe down all surfaces inside stand – walls, countertops, refrigerator, freezer, shelves.
3. Clean shaved ice shaver, wipe down inside and outside, wipe out and clean drip pan.
4. Wipe off all flavor and concentrate bottles including quart and gallon jugs. If necessary, put the nightcaps on all bottles with pourers.
5. Wipe out the refrigerator.
6. Make sure all items are stocked and ready – napkins, spoons, straws, cups, lids, back-ups, toppings, notepads, paper towels.
7. Stock inside freezer with ice.
8. Lock the windows.
9. Take trash to the dumpster.
10. Make list of items needed for the next shift.
11. Sweep and mop the floor.
12. Turn the lights and AC off.
13. Lock the door.

A consistent closing checklist will help you maintain your equipment and stand properly. It will also help you keep your operation clean and looking good!

Monday, February 25, 2008


Another Magic Lantern



Here’s another ‘magic lantern’ that may be of interest to you. This link sends you to an article in which the owner of a shaved ice business located in Phoenix, Arizona. In the interview, he discusses various details about his shaved ice company. As we have mentioned before, it’s always helpful to read about or listen to what other owners have to say about their concessions business. If you have the time, take a moment and read the interview. You may find some helpful tidbits that will spur you on to better success with your own concessions business!


Spring is Just Around the Corner!


The first day of spring is March 20th! Is your shaved ice and snow cone stand well stocked and ready to go? We recommend that you double check all of your machinery and make sure it is in good operating order. At 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com, we also recommend that you review your inventory and supplies. Make sure that when you open up you are fully stocked and prepared for your customers! Once you have everything in good order, it’s time to make sure you and your employees review your daily opening checklist. Below is the checklist we used when opening our stands. You may find that you need to modify it somewhat to suit your needs. Please feel free to use it to your advantage!


Opening (arrive 15-30 minutes before opening)

1. Turn on the air conditioner.
2. Pick up any trash in the parking lot and around your business.
3. Wipe off the outside counters.
4. Make sure all signs and banners outside are neat and clean.
5. Mop the floor – we always mopped every morning. Since you are dealing with very sticky syrup, you can NEVER mop too much!
6. Put trash bags in the trash cans.
7. Make sure all items are stocked and ready – napkins, spoons, straws, cups, lids, back-ups, toppings, notepads, paper towels.
8. Call about inventory that may be needed or ordered.
9. Wash the windows.
10. Turn the open/closed sign at the correct time.

Smile and be ready to offer fantastic service to every customer!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008


Cotton Candy Tray


This handy, aluminum tray is capable of easily holding 6 cones of cotton candy. Stay ahead of the crowd! If you have room to mount a couple of these on your cotton candy cart, we highly recommend using them. These trays are very useful during peak sales times. Dimensions: 8" x 4" x 19" (20 x 10 x 46 cm) Order one today from CottonCandyExpress.com.

Monday, February 18, 2008


Looking for Another Way to Increase your Profit Margin?



If you have a medium to high volume shaved ice location or multiple locations, here's a suggestion for boosting your profit margin. Make your own ice! 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com offers two different types of block ice machines. Currently, we sell 5 traditional block ice machines that are able to produce 18-120 ice blocks per day. Our round block ice machines (four different models) are capable of producing 24-76 round ice blocks per day.

Once you have recouped the expense of purchasing a machine, your cost for ice will be reduced to just pennies each day. This savings will significantly impact your profit margin in a positive way.

Again, if you have a medium to high volume location or multiple locations, we strongly suggest that you look into producing your own ice using one of our block ice machines. It’s a great way to boost your profit margin and save an incredible amount of money on your most widely used ingredient! If you order one now, you will reap additional savings while all of our machines are still on sale!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008


Shaved Ice and Snow Cone Machine Help Center


Are you looking for the right machine for your new shaved ice or snow cone business? Are you an existing concessionaire looking to upgrade to a newer or more powerful machine? In either case, we know that you will find the Machine Help Center at 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com a good resource for choosing your shaved ice or snow cone machine. This helpful guide asks pertinent questions to aid you in find the best machine to suit your needs. So, if you are looking to purchase a new shaved ice or snow cone machine, please visit the Machine Help Center. We know you will find it to be a useful tool for your business.

Monday, February 11, 2008


Awesome New Snow Cone Cart at 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com


Check out the new snow cone cart available at 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com! This cart is 4 feet long and features two wheels making it easy to use for mobile concessionaires. The solid, stainless steel top provides ample work space for your machine, flavors and supplies. The bold graphics on this cart make it a crowd-drawing money-maker! This cart is a great choice for a variety of locations and venues. Order yours today so you can get it ready for Spring! (The cart is shown with the Deluxe Sno-Konette snow cone machine which is sold separately.)

Thursday, February 7, 2008


A Great Little Tool for Keeping your Cotton Candy Fresh


This little gizmo comes highly recommended by many of CottonCandyExpress.com’s customers! Kwik-Lok Bag closures will help keep your cotton candy staying fresh for longer periods of time. After you fill the floss bag, all you need to do is simply give the bag a twist and snap on the Kwik-Lok closure. The closure is designed with a hole in it so that you can easily hang it on any floss tree or display rack. CottonCandyExpress.com sells Kwik-Lok closures in cases of 1000. Order yours today and be ready for the Spring season!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008


Menu Items…How Many is Too Many?


The main product that your business will sell is shaved ice or snow cones. Your customers should be able to choose from at least 20 to over 70 flavors at most shaved ice stands. Variations of shaved ice flavors might include creamers or mixers, (which are further explained in detail in the Cold Cash Business Manual). Some business owners will add shaved ice as a sideline item to their existing business. Shaved ice is very popular at ice cream parlors, smoothie bars, coffee shops, concession stands, and convenience stores.

In addition to shaved ice or snow cones, there are a number of other products you can sell at your business location. You may also try selling lemonade, soft drinks, milk shakes, pickles, ice cream, sundaes, banana splits, bagged potato chips, or candy. Some businesses also offer hot items such as funnel cakes, sandwiches, or pretzels.

The items you sell will depend primarily on your location, setup, and the size of your business. However, the more items you sell, the more inventory and equipment you have to purchase and keep. Additional menu items may require more preparation time along with equipment maintenance and training. At 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com, we have found that usually the additional headaches do not always equal additional profits.

We kept our menu simple. We offered shaved ice with 45 flavors along with four flavors of hand dipped ice cream. We also offered a number of toppings, creamers, and mixers. We felt by keeping our menu simple, our customers could make their decisions much easier and faster. In addition, our employees worked much more efficiently by keeping our business simple.

**This is an excerpt from the Cold Cash Business Manual which may be requested FREE at 1-800-Shaved-Ice.com. Visit us today and request your manual. Our manual covers a broad range of topics all related to the successful operation of a shaved ice or snow cone business.

Monday, February 4, 2008


Business Hours


Establishing regular business hours is one of the most important practices needed for any successful shaved ice or snow cone business. It is imperative that your customers know when they can expect you to be open. If you need to take one day a week off, do so, however establish this early in the season. Do not make the mistake of opening your shaved ice business occasionally or only when you feel like it. In addition, always be open whether it is sunny or rainy. Even on a rainy day, you can often do enough business to make profit. You can always bring a book, do some extra cleaning, catch up on paperwork or plan you next advertising campaign! Regardless of the weather, make sure you stick by your hours so that your customers will know they can count on you to be open. This is extremely important!

What time you open and close daily will also depend on your location. Some shaved ice businesses, in high traffic areas, open as early as 10 AM and close as late as 10 PM. We suggest investigating other shaved ice businesses in your area to see their hours of operation. Check with other neighboring businesses to see when they open and close too. Also, take a look at what else is located in your area. Are schools, baseball/soccer fields or shopping centers nearby? Find out their schedules and set your hours accordingly. Just remember to be consistent in your opening and closing times. It will be extremely beneficial in the long run and will further add to the professional, quality image you are trying to develop for your shaved ice or snow cone business.


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Business Hours by
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