We have had the honor of serving some wonderful and truly unforgettable customers over the years. As you may know, we not only help customers seeking shaved ice products for home or recreational use, but we also assist new and experienced shaved ice business owners through our commercial site, 1-800-shaved-ice.com.
We had a chance to catch up with one of our business users, Heather Johnsen, proud owner of The Ice Cream Girl & Co. to chat about her journey into the shaved ice industry, how we met, and how far she has come today.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you come across 1-800-Shaved-Ice?
A: I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a child and into my mid-20’s, I spent my summers on Long Beach Island, NJ. I fell in love with the summer, sand and the water.
Working during summertime at the Jersey shore I encountered the ice cream, soft serve and lemonade trucks that would frequent the beach each day.
In the summer of 1996 I became enamored with a BRIGHT PINK truck that began business that summer and thus began my love & dream to own my very own truck at some point in my future.
I’m a true believer that all things in life happen for a reason, so fast forward to the summer of 2007, when searching for a car on EBay (of all places), up popped a new listing for a vintage ice cream truck. Timing was everything and I was soon the happy owner of a 1968 vintage Good Humor shave ice & ice cream truck.
When I began looking into getting started in the shave ice business I did a ton of research of various companies & suppliers – compared prices, flavors, shavers and overall knowledge of shave ice products and came across 1-800-shaved-ice and Carli! Carli was SUPER helpful and answered literally EVERY question I had. She allowed me to feel “safer” getting into the business I had only researched, by providing as many honest answers as she could or that Gary could provide.
Q: What made you ultimately choose 1-800-Shaved-Ice for your business needs? What products do you use, and how often do you use them?
A: Over the years, the quick shipping, awesome products, and fabulous customer service have kept me as a customer.
My primary products purchased from 1-800-Shaved-Ice are:
Q: What have you enjoyed the most about your experience with us?
A: My overall experience has been great—promptly answering my calls, you all can easily pull up my previous orders and know what blade, etc. I need, and, because you're not super far from my state, shipping time is really quick!
Q: Do you have any special shaved ice memories that you’d like to share with us?
A: I guess it seems like weekly, my little pink truck makes people of all ages HAPPY! We have customers that continue to book us for events—festivals, employee appreciation treats, weddings, and birthdays, year after year. Mothers who tell me their children LOVE to come to our locations and get ‘slushies,’ or the adults at many of the companies that we visit weekly, really look forward to our visits because it simply makes the day better! Or little girls who say they want to be “an ice cream girl when they grow up!”
But, I think my favorite memory is this sweet older couple—her husband is in a nursing home for Alzheimer’s and their weekly outing in the summer months is lunch, and then a trip to one of my pink shave ice trucks. He may not remember much she tells me, but he sure remembers how much he loves our shave ice! That makes my heart happy.
Q: What would you say are your favorite flavors, and have you come up with any of your own over the years?
A: My favorite flavors are pretty simple—Wedding Cake & cream, Coconut & cream, and Melona & Cream (this is like honeydew, and I first tasted it in Hawaii)
Our best sellers are mostly our creations:
Tiger’s Blood and Blue Raspberry continue to be great sellers too!
Q: What do you hope is in store for the future of your business?
A: I love my business, but it is a full-time commitment. I never stop thinking of how to work smarter and not harder, be unique and different, but always serve the best product possible. And to make my business, The Ice Cream Girl & Co. the best shave ice company in my town while continuing to stay a fun & memorable part of the community.
Our team at Hawaiian Shaved Ice and 1-800-Shaved-Ice is incredibly thankful for having the opportunity to work with Heather, an extremely dedicated and passionate individual who has already made such a positive impact on the shaved ice industry.
Are you interested in starting a shaved ice business of your own, or do you just have a special bond with Hawaiian Shaved Ice? Share your story with us at customercare@hawaiianshavedice.com, and you may be featured in a future customer spotlight post! We can’t wait to hear from you!
