Speaking to Josh of Josh’s Sno Shack about his wonderful business in Tulsa.
Today Jennie is in Brookside to speak with Josh of Josh’s Sno Shack. They sell snow cones and serve up summer happiness!
Jennie: So who are you, and what do you guys do here?
Josh: I started this business in 2005, and it was meant to get me through college. However, I finished college and kept growing the business. We’ve sort of become the Tulsa staple for snow cones. If you like summer and snow cones, then you have to visit one of our locations in Tulsa or Stillwater.
I’ve seen your shacks all over town. How many locations do you have now?
As of just the other day, we have seven locations open, another is opening in a few days, and two more should be open for the summer. We also have a couple of snow cone trucks that drive around to events, and we do about 100 events every month during the summer. We’re going all out right now.
We love promoting our local business owners, and you’re giving back to the community by employing young kids who are still learning and growing. What’s been the greatest joy as a boss and a growing leader or our youth?
This is the 17th summer we’ve been open for business, and I always tell people that I don’t wake up saying, “I love snow cones!” What I love most is the opportunity to invest in young folks, get to know them, hear their stories, and hopefully teach them a little about life and business. This is a first job for a lot of people, so we teach them jobs skills such as how to communicate with customers and each other, which I think are great tools for them to learn by the time they graduate from high school.
Those are needed skills that they may not be learning in the classroom. What are some of your most interesting flavors that people should try?
We have crowd favorites, but the most interesting flavor we have is called the Lotus, which has hibiscus in it. I enjoy that one a lot; it’s a light, sort of floral taste, so it’s unique. Any of the flavors on the “Only at Josh’s” list are more unique than you’d find at competitors’ stands. Another fun flavor is Butterbeer; if you’re a Harry Potter fan, it tastes like the butterbeer drink you can get at Universal’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. Also, the Josh’s Mix is our secret house special that we’re known for; you can’t go wrong with any of these flavors.
Then starting in June, we have a flavor of the week that we launch with a special topping. We usually try to make those flavors based on something culturally relevant.
Summer is your busy season, your main season. You’re mostly a summer business, so as a business owner, how does that work?
It’s honestly pretty incredible. Sometimes in business, we get caught up in the grind of it and don’t have time to truly think about things. We hit the ground running around January 15 by hiring and making sure our contracts are in order. Then we’re open through about mid-October and have November to decompress everything.
I use November and December to be a thinker and spend plenty of time with my family. I have an amazing life where I have time to think up ideas, explore new concepts, and see if they work or not. It’s crazy right now though!
We’re so grateful that Josh’s Sno Shack is here and a Tulsa staple. People can find one of your shacks on most of the popular corners of town.
If you Google us, we’re probably only a few miles from you.
To learn more about Josh’s Sno Shack or book them for your next event, visit their website. If you ever have any real estate questions or needs, visit The Wolek Group’s website. We would love to help you!
