If the summer gets too hot, dump a little snow on it. Everything about the SnoBiz snow cone cabana in the parking lot of Leigh Mall exudes coolness amid the heat. It”s the grown-up equivalent of a childhood lemonade stand. The white cabana has hot pink trim, and it”s crowned with a garish neon sign. Another sign begs you to “do yourself a flavor.” The air-conditioning washes over your face as you stand at the window and order from a menu of 120 wacky flavors, including “Bullfrog in a Blender” (blueberry, lime and cherry) and “Bat Juice” (blueberry, lemon and banana).
The syrup, liberally drizzled over a mound of shaved ice, explodes with flavor. You have to eat slow to avoid brain-freeze.
“We mix all of our own flavors and make our own ice,” said Ben Smith, who has worked at SnoBiz for the last two seasons. He”s a friendly young man with a Shakespearean affinity for addressing customers as “coz.”
“It”s a good little treat after working all week,” said Cayce Wilson as he gathered his snow cones and took them to his car. Wilson, who works at the Agri Turf John Deere dealer in Columbus, said his wife has been wanting one all week. “It”s just a good afternoon snack.”
SnoBiz certainly has dedicated customers.
“More people will come during the rain than will come right now when it”s cloudy,” Smith said. “Business, if it”s sunny, is booming.”
At least one customer braved the cloudy weather on Saturday to get her snow cone fix.
“We wait for them to open every year,” said Lisa Maxey, who had been going to yard sales all day with her niece. “We drive across town to get them. It”s cool on a hot day.”
The employees are experts in snow cone-ology. Every season, they try to come up with new specials.
“My favorite one I”ve created is probably ”Dora,”” said Desiree Segafredo, who was hired in March. “It has blueberry and tootie fruitie in it.”
Smith and Segafredo are more familiar with the stand”s top-selling flavors than they”d probably like to be.
“Strawberry colada is one of most used flavors,” Smith said.
“But it”s in close competition with banana,” Segafredo interjected.
“There are just too many flavors to pick from,” Smith said. “I was trying to invent flavors all last season, but it ended up making me sick. Try eating 10 snowcones a day, seven days a week.”
Kids are especially fond of the “Spiderman” and “Rainbow” cones. Most adults favor the “Weekend at the Beach” snowcone, as if they”re trying to project their dreams and desires onto their summer treats, Smith said.
“It”s the perfect combination of sweet and sour,” Smith grinned.
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