Meet Rachael Bostwick of Kona Ice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Bostwick.

Hi Rachael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Bill has always wanted to run his own business. He was researching different franchises and kept coming across Kona Ice. After more research, and talking to A LOT of people, he decided he wanted to move ahead. Being very risk averse, I was not a fan of him leaving his well-paid corporate job to sell shaved ice from a truck. But he wore me down with his enthusiasm, and in the spring of 2022, we started our first season with 2 trucks.

As I still had a full-time job, we recruited our son to operate our second truck. It was a lot of work, but the stress level was completely different from a corporate job. Our success was completely dependent on us-our decisions and how hard we worked (with a little input from the weather). It didn’t take long to realize that Bill had made a great choice.

After that first season, our son decided to purchase his truck, and I left my job at the beginning of the second season to work full-time on the Kona trucks. We haven’t looked back since, and are expanding our equipment and hiring a few employees to start the next season.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle was wrapping my mind around the safety of a corporate job with a steady paycheck and benefits.

Once I got past that, it has been pretty smooth sailing. Our biggest challenge is the weather. Unfortunately, people tend to not purchase shaved ice in a rain or hailstorm, or if it is chilly outside.

We’ve been impressed with Kona Ice of Hampden, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We sell shaved ice cups from our interactive Kona Entertainment vehicles (KEV).

We provide shaved ice with a snow-like consistency, and our customers get to add their own flavored syrups to the ice. They can add as many or as few flavors as they want, with as much or as little flavor as they want. The trucks are bright, colorful, and instantly recognizable, especially to school-aged children.

One of the aspects of the business we are the most proud of is our impact on our communities. We have had just under 2 seasons with Kona (April-October) and we have given back almost $60,000 to schools, non-profits, and youth sports in our area. We love being a company that makes a difference!

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck played a huge part in the launch of our business. We signed a franchisee contract for a truck and territory in September 2021. Our truck was supposed to be ready the following February. Unfortunately, however, that was when the worst of the Covid-related supply chain issues were occurring. Our truck-ready date kept getting pushed back further and further.

At the same time, another franchisee decided to sell their truck and territory. As Bill had already left his job, and we were unsure when we would get our original truck, we decided to purchase their business.

I had no intention of giving up my job, which included our healthcare and benefits, but coincidentally our son had decided to leave his job to come run the second truck (which we picked up in late May). It just felt like all the pieces fell into place, and that first season convinced us we had made the right choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kona-ice.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/konaiceofhampden/