WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Hailing from Delaware, working in management at Walmart, longing to sell snow cones on the beach somewhere, Stephanie Edwards made her dreams a reality in 2015.
Stephanie worked for Walmart for 23 years. She sat on the board of directors for a food bank and the local chamber of commerce through her management position with the company, as well as served in various local reading programs. After being at Walmart for that many years, she didn’t think she’d be able to follow her passion.
“I loved that Walmart allowed me to give back to the community. Whether it was through my time, monetary donations, or volunteering,” said Stephanie.
She came across Kona Ice one night doing a food truck event in 2015. The founder of Kona Ice, Tony Lamb, created his business model around giving back to the community. Stephanie immediately got goosebumps on her arms and butterflies in her stomach. She couldn’t wait to tell her wife, Chris, what she had found.
“The next day, at four in the morning, Stephanie pitched her idea,” said Chris. “I thought, ‘OK, five-year plan. No worries. This is good.'”
Stephanie called Kona’s corporate line, filled out an application, and scheduled a phone interview with Tony. An hour and 45 minutes later, Stephanie was sold. Florida was always her goal with the sunny skies and sandy coastlines. Stephanie, Chris, and their friend Betsy flew down to Florida with the idea of touring around Saint Petersburg.
However, as soon as they came over the Skyway Bridge, entering Palmetto and Manatee County, Stephanie and Chris knew that something about this community would fit them. Describing the area as “clean” and “friendly,” these women fell in love with the area.
Although Stephanie became ill on that first trip to Florida, Betsy and Chris went to the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, spoke with some of the staff, and were given a book about what was in the area. They were one of the first food trucks in Manatee County.
Very quickly, their five-year plan turned into a six-month plan. February of 2015 was when Stephanie made the call to Kona Ice, they flew down in March to scope out the area and looked for rentals in May. Stephanie retired from Walmart in June, she moved down in August with her and Chris’ son, and Chris moved down in September. September 17th was their first school event at a Palmetto High School football game.
“We’ve given back $81,000 just in the last school year,” Stephanie said. But Stephanie and Chris aren’t silent owners. Part of living the dream is working the dream, and chances are, you can find them at the various events around town.
In 2016, they expanded to a second truck. Then, in 2017, they bought a kiosk. Parrish was starting to grow, and in 2018, Betsy made the official move down to Florida with her husband and daughter after also retiring from Walmart.
Stephanie recalled: “She had been watching and helping us on the trucks over the years. She really enjoyed the business and saw our impact on the community.”
At that point, Chris and Stephanie’s territory was Ellenton to the Island and down into Bradenton. Betsy partnered with them, and they bought a third Kona Ice truck.
“The quality of life is important when you have a family. You have to have that work/life balance. It was hard for us to have folks join our team,” said Stephanie.
Chris stated: “When we moved down, we didn’t know anybody. We had to introduce not only ourselves but also Kona Ice. It truly was brand new to the county. We didn’t have family or friends here who could represent us and the brand. That’s another reason why Betsy joined us.”
However, over the years, they’ve found some amazing team members. They brought on two full-time people and have had several local high school students work for them. Their employees have been known to have snowball fights or make snowmen for kindergartners.
“It’s that kind of stuff that we can’t always put the words on, and it’s not really something we teach our team. They have to feel it,” said Chris.
In January of 2023, they expanded for the last time. Now, Stephanie and Chris have four trucks and own all of the Manatee County territory with the addition of Lakewood Ranch.
“It definitely was not my business plan, but it was something I felt I needed to do for our community,” said Stephanie. Administration changes constantly within the schools, so there were many staff in the Lakewood Ranch area with whom Stephanie and Chris had personal connections after working with them at other schools.
“When you work with a school, these staff members aren’t just admin. They become your friends. You get to know them on a personal level. You also build a level of trust,” Stephanie said.
It’s evident that Stephanie and Chris are doing this from the heart.
“It’s about what you’re doing with folks and the partnership that you have with people that really makes a difference, and I feel makes us unique,” She explained.
Since opening in 2015, Stephanie and Chris have given back over $500,000 to local schools and over $650,000 to non-profit organizations in Manatee County. However, the community impact that Kona Ice is making goes far beyond monetary value.
From covering a child’s snow cone cost at a school event to providing their services at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office event, Flight to the North Pole for terminally ill children, Stephanie and Chris strive to meet needs across the county.
One of Chris’ favorite parts of the job is the ability of individuality. “When somebody comes up to our truck, they get to make that Kona Ice as individual as they are. As so much stuff is being taken away from us now, this is one thing that when those kids come to the truck, nobody tells them what to do. They get the ice, and they get to flavor it. It’s fun for them and teaches them different things about themselves.”
They’ve been working with Learning is Fun daycare in Palmetto since 2016. But what Chris finds unique about this center is that they will allow their children at the age of two to make decisions for their snow cones. The teachers will still help them, but the children are allowed to put the syrup on and pick the flavor.
“It allows the kids to make choices, and we love that,” said Stephanie.
Chris and Stephanie were nominated by their peers in Florida to represent the Florida region of Kona Ice franchises and act as a liaison between their peers and corporate. They were even invited to speak at the annual Kona Konvention in Cincinnati! In front of 1,200 of their fellow franchisees, Chris and Stephanie shared their story.
Kona Ice has easily become a Manatee County staple amongst families over the last eight years, and it’s clear to see that they bring more than just smiles to our community. With even more to offer now, we’re excited to see the growth of community impact by these wonderful women.
