Really Cool Place Opening on Florida Avenue

San Antonio's Gulf Coast Ice is expanding its ice vending business in the dead of winter. And with this kind of winter, who can blame them? 

Their self-contained, self-service ice kiosk at 6416 N. Florida Ave. is scheduled to open for business within two weeks. 

"It's just like operating a giant Coke machine," said Blake Scharber, who co-owns Gulf Coast Ice with his brother Jarrod and father Bill. "Slide your money in, it crushes the ice down for you, weighs it and dispenses it all within eight seconds." 

Scharber said the machine sells the ice two ways: in a 16-pound bag, or 20 pounds unbagged. Just have your cooler waiting underneath the chute. Either amount normally costs $1.50, but Scharber this unit will sell ice for an introductory offer of $1 "for at least a few months." 

The kiosk's location right next to is no accident. The Scharbers are renting the lot from the tavern owners, Scharber said, because his business and theirs "are complimentary. Anybody who runs a restaurant and a bar with a liquor store knows that customers are going to want ice."

Scharber added that the location is also desirable for its "population density, there's a lot of working people, a lot of families, a good busy area." 

The Scharbers have 15 other ice kiosks in the area, two of them in Tampa and the rest in Pasco County.