With kids sporting events canceled and schools closed the last few months, you may have been going through Kona Ice withdrawals. If so, you’re not alone. And Kona Ice has just the solution for you.
By Karin Fabry-Cushenbery
On a hot, humid Florida afternoon nothing can brighten your spirits quite like that island music emanating from a nearby Kona Ice truck. It’s refreshing, it’s tasty and it’s coming right to your door.
As the exclusive park vendor in Ocala, Pauline Robbins and Deven McKay, owners of the Ocala Kona Ice franchise, had to get creative when the parks closed their gates, cutting off access to potential clients.
“We are very fortunate to be part of an incredible company,” says Pauline. “Corporate was on the ball looking for new ways to bring Kona to you. And with strict guidelines for safety during the pandemic, they made it happen.”
Kurbside Kona was an instant success.
“It’s been a huge hit, and it’s been such a great feeling to get out there and make families happy,” says Pauline. “In many instances, the parents ordered Kurbside as a surprise for the kids. When the truck rolls up with the music on in front of their house their eyes light up. The kids are used to seeing us at schools and camps. It’s a great treat for them.”
So how does it work? Simply pre-order your shaved ice online at kurbsidekona.com. Make sure to enter in truck number 1927 when doing so. Keep in mind there’s a $13 minimum order for home delivery. Pick your cup size (the company can’t refill your current cup for safety reasons at the moment), choose a 30-minute window and sit back and relax.
Kona Ice Ocala has been serving our area since 2013 and, in that short amount of time, has donated over $350,000 to our local schools through fundraising opportunities.
“We love what we do,” says Pauline. “It’s just the best to bring smiles to people’s faces all the time. We like to say we bring smiles one cup at a time.”
And what’s not to smile about? The flavor combinations number into the hundreds, and you’ll be hard pressed to choose just one flavor. Besides, what kid hasn’t loaded up their ice with all the flavors at once? In case you’re wondering, Kona’s top 10 flavor choices are Blue Raspberry, Tiger’s Blood, Groovy Grape, Island Rush, Lucky Lime, Monster Mango, Ninja Cherry, Pina Colada, Strawberry’d Treasure and Watermelon Wave. And while these are all tasty, there are decidedly more grownup flavors as well. Some top choices included on the Krafted menu are Bourbon Black Cherry Vanilla, Lavender Lemonade, Watermelon Mint, Aprium Rose Sangria, Mai Tai and Blueberry Acai—literally just to name a few. These mocktails will hit the spot, especially once you take them inside and add a bit of your favorite beverage of choice to create a refreshing slushie cocktail.
To stay on top of the scheduled neighborhoods and locations of your favorite Kona Ice truck, check out Kona Ice Ocala on Facebook. The week’s schedule will be posted every Monday. Stay cool, Ocala!
Kona Ice Ocala // On Facebook (Kona Ice Ocala) // kurbsidekona.com (truck #1927)
Check out more local entertainment like this at 352preview.com.
