"Well that was predictable," I found myself thinking several weeks ago as I ended a conversation with a real estate broker, who had just informed me their landlord wasn't interested in leasing their store to a seasonal summer business - and a rather sticky one at that...
This was a feeling I had become all too familiar with in the past few months. Before we can serve you your favorite Ocean Pacific flavor or tell you that we're not affiliated with any other Tropical Sno or take a toddler's order for the illusive "blue" flavor, there is of course a long story of how we got here. My odyssey to revive my summer business, Tropical Sno Hinsdale - seller of the world’s finest Hawaiian Shaved Ice - began last November when I returned to Hinsdale after my first three months of college. While much had changed in my life, I wandered through town on a Thanksgiving afternoon to see what had changed in my town and scout out opportunities to re-open our charitable business for the summer of 2013.
Fast forward through winter (I don't think any Chicagoan will be upset with that) and the fun continues in early spring when I began preparing for this summer. I was absolutely committed to the return of Tropical Sno. Last summer I reopened the business after a two year hiatus. During the first season of Tropical Sno, I worked in the store, but I never fully understood what it actually meant to “run a business” – back then, I was just the flavor guy. However, I took on the role of manager and owner in the 2012 season; I now had to navigate this bureaucratic world of business licensing. Um, what exactly are "employee withholding taxes"…?
Nevertheless, we had an extraordinarily successful summer all thanks to our loyal customers and friends. Last summer we donated almost a third of our profits to charity: Water, a non-for-profit organization that devotes 100% of donations to building freshwater wells in developing communities across Africa, South America and South Asia. Our ability to raise such a large amount of money for an issue that I care deeply about is the sole reason why I am so dedicated to the return of Tropical Sno. Unfortunately, I faced a few roadblocks along the way.
As I called various real estate brokers around town, I was frequently told, "Sorry, we're just not interested." At one point, I finally had an agreement on my proposal and I thought I found the new home of Tropical Sno. As luck would have it, that’s when the landlord chimed in, calling the deal off because he didn't want the short-term business. This was particularly problematic because I thought it was my last hope - the metaphorical end of the line.
That was until my partner, Charlie Klingenberger, urged me to give one last look around town. And that's when we found our new home - 42 S Washington Street. I was reminded that persistence is absolutely necessary in life and that you should never throw in the towel when you're chasing issues that matter to you.
This summer we will be raising money to help the families of Oklahoma that have been devastated by the recent tornadoes. We can't help but empathize with the horrible conditions they have to cope with – these communities have been left with nothing. We believe our new home is our best location yet, and we're hoping that this summer will be our best. We want to do everything we can to help the families of Oklahoma and we hope you will join us.
Now, enough with the story telling. We're ready to give you another fantastic summer! We will be blogging on the Patch all summer, capturing our stories and the fun (read: CHAOS) – everything that goes into bringing you the best friggin’ shaved ice you could ever imagine. Tropical Sno Hinsdale will open Monday, June 10th at 12:00 PM. Our regular business hours will be Tuesday – Saturday, 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Please like us on Facebook at Tropical Sno Hinsdale and follow us on Twitter @trosnohinsdale We hope to see you in the store soon!
