1. Can I obtain a permit to sell snow cones or ice cream on park property? No, permits are not issued for vendors selling these types of items. All Temporary Food and Drink Permits are issued for trailer type concessions.

Licenses and Permits you may need:

1. Business license (Not the same as forming an LLC )
2. Food vending and handling permit.
3. Business registration certificate.
4. Health department permit (Sometimes)

ALL Snow Cone Stand BUSINESSES NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE. A business license (starts at $39) is required by 100% of all businesses in CA.

Sales for a typical shaved ice or snow cone business will average around $100 to $2,000 a day but it all hinges on a number of factors including location, competition, length of your season and business history. The business in Hawaii might have TONS of competition and they may sell from a dark alley.

When all is said and done, and in the interest of saving you headaches and creating a functional and prosperous shave ice business, we recommend having at least $10,000 to start your shave ice or snow cone business.

Many people wonder what the difference between shaved ice and snow cones are. The answer is simple really. Snow Cones have larger granules of ice than shaved ice. Shaved ice is more comparable to snow, and is very fine, light, and fluffy whereas Snow Cones have larger pieces of ice.

For the fluffiest shaved ice, it’s best to use the two ice molds provided with your machine. You can use regular household ice, but you won’t get the same fluffiness. On the other hand, with our snow cone machines, household ice cubes or bagged ice work perfectly.

With shave ice, the ice is shaved to order and made much thinner, making it a more labor and cost intensive process. This is a big reason why shave ice shops need to charge more.

While shaved ice is safe to eat — and refreshing — eating too much or too often can be bad for your health as it is high in added sugars. Shaved ice is flavored with syrups containing refined sugars, which, according to the American Heart Association, contribute to weight gain and the obesity epidemic.

To be honest, your average snow cone or shave ice made with refined sugars, artificial flavors, and artificial colors, is not the healthiest food option out there, but they are still low on the calorie scale as compared to ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Put the ice block right under the handle. Pull up the handle and set the ice under the handle. Then put down the handle and insert the eight needles in the ice. Once the ice block is set, turn the handle, and the ice is shaved into fluffy granules.

Shaved ice can be made in a blender or by using a shaved ice machine. I was actually surprised and how well my blender works at producing very finely shaved ice. The trick is to make sure you don’t put in too much ice at once.

Steps:

1. Fill around ¼ of the ziplock with water (or flavored water) and tightly seal the bag before letting it freeze in the fridge.
2. Once the ice is ready, pound and crush the ice with the use of a rolling pin, a mallet or any hard kitchen tool that you can use for pounding.

Shave ice in its simplest form is composed of thinly shaved ice and syrup served in a cup, paper cone, or bowl. Distinct from a snow cone which uses crushed ice, the ice for Hawaiian shave ice is thinly shaved to create a unique texture that is more powdery and snow-like.

How much ice will I need? Most sno-cones are 4-6 oz. A 20 lb. bag of ice should produce 40-50 Sno-Cones.

The best way to keep shaved ice from freezing together is to try to keep it at a constant temperature and regularly stir it so it doesn’t freeze solid. You can do this by putting it into a freezer and then taking it out and switching it to the fridge every so often and stirring it to keep it soft.