Choosing the Right Location

We feel confident to say that if you can make an average of $500 a day within the first two weeks of opening a location, you have found a home-run location! Locations like this have the potential to grow in gross revenue each year that you stay in the same location, making sure to keep your business consistently clean, product quality high, with great customer service. {weather permitting}

Characteristics of a Home-Run Location:

Keep Your Own Identity: Locate your Sno Shack away from the nearest buildings, preferably close to the street so you can become your own "destination location."

On a road with Speed Limits Between 25 -30 MPH. Any speed much higher than that would detract people from stopping because by the time they see you, they are past your business and most likely will not turn around to come back- until you become a destination location and people come just for you.

Be Accessible by locating your Sno Shack close to the parking lot entrance.

Have Access to a Power Source- when you order your building we can wire it either on top (to hook into a nearby power line- you would need a professional electrician to do this), or we can wire it out the back of the building (so it could be plugged in). You will need a steady source of power to operate the equipment, so research which options would be best at the location you choose.

The best locations seem to be Near Residential Neighborhoods so children can be within reasonable walking distance; however you need to be in an area of town that already has regular and consistent activity from the population. It is often children that initially ask their parents to bring them, but in many cases it turns out that the parents and adults crave the shaved ice, so you want to be in a location that caters to both. Often we recommend grocery store parking lots or shopping centers where you can have a location towards the road. You want to be seen as a separate entity than the nearby businesses, the goal is to eventually become a destination location, which will in the end benefit other businesses around you.

When approaching a location’s leasing manager, especially in a grocery store parking lot, use the concept that you want to rent a parking space to the back of the parking lot away from the store entrance. This will benefit their business by creating extra income for them from a parking space that on its own does not bring in that much income in a summer (because grocery store clients want to park close to the entrance of the store). But this also allows you your own identity. Research other concession businesses in your area to get a realistic idea on the going rate for rent. Having an offer in mind will help in the negotiation of your agreement.

If possible, look for a location that has Drive Through Potential- our buildings are built to offer a drive through window set up if your traffic flow allows, which opens the possibilities for a whole different set of customers! Just think, families can come and the parents do not even need to get out of the car! Or people in a hurry on their lunch break, the possibilities are endless!

Other things to consider: Is there a nearby building with restroom facilities that your employees could have access to? Is the parking lot lit up at night with its own lights, not just your Sno Shack’s lights? (This helps customers feel more comfortable coming at night time).