Alright, stop…collaborate, and listen! Stacie Abitia and her family have created a little traveling summer-experience for us all here in Union County, and we are LOVING it. “Ice Ice Stacie”, her shaved ice business, is booming and this summer’s heat has made us all realize just how amazing this simple treat can be. The texture of shaved ice is lighter and finer than crushed ice, which is perfect for absorbing fun flavors, making it the ideal treat during hot weather.
Except Stacie’s ice takes it a bit further…these shaved ices kick it up a notch! Local favorites include Blue Raspberry and Cotton Candy with fun toppings like whipped cream and sprinkles, even Pop Rocks! I’ve even seen them make savory shaved ice with pickle juice, some fancy-looking salt, and sprinkled with Tajin!
Stacie describes the day she had the idea. “We were on vacation in Myrtle beach 4 years ago. We went to This cute shaved ice place for a snack, were talking with the owner about how cute their business was, he was telling us ideas they had for the fall and winter and all my brain could think about after that was bringing that to Liberty. Later that night in the pool we were all coming up with different names and my daughter Elyse said Ice Ice Stacie and it stuck! At that time it was a dream.” Stacie was working a physically demanding job at the time, and couldn’t imagine adding more to her plate.
About a year later Stacie left that job and started her own cleaning business, Spotless Solutions, which she still operates. “Every summer I would say ‘hey, we should be doing shaved ice!’ at the festivals and parties we would go to. Last winter [husband] Manny and I were at a comedy show in Indianapolis…on the way home we stopped at a bulk food store that had some shaved ice products we had looked up online, and I knew if I wanted to do this I would have to make a move. So we bought a few products. I spent the ride home finding everything else we needed online. We were finally taking our shot!”
Eventually they added another fan favorite: cake pops. Cake Pops are exactly what they sound like…a ball of cake on a stick, iced and decorated, like a cake-lollipop. “Our daughters Ellie and Heather would make cake pops for their friends and teachers or just for fun all the time, so I thought why not incorporate that into the shaved ice stand. They taught me the process and we started experimenting with flavors and designs. This teaches them how to run a business and gives them a sense of ownership!”
The family aspect of this business is one of many things that makes it so cool. “We do this as a family, we each play an important role. We do the cake pops together, work the shaved ice stand together, load and unload everything together,” Stacie says. “It’s definitely a lot of work but we enjoy it!”
So far they have done events at Miami, Groovin’ in the Grove in College Corner, festivals in Liberty, Play in the Park, and Sunset on Union. They also do private birthday and graduation parties, and sell the custom cake pops individually, by the dozen, or as a gift box.
As for the future? Things look bright! Stacie has a wealth of ideas. For colder months, they intend to continue selling Cake Pops and add Caramel Apples, plus they’ll be booking private parties, and looking for ways to expand their customer base and delivery methods. And there’s still time to catch them around town this summer! “We are scheduled for the remaining Groovin’ in the Grove In CC, Sunset on Union in Liberty and E Town Shakedown in Eaton. We also have several private parties scheduled… The goal is to be able to buy a trailer so we can customize it and have our own food truck in the future. We have a lot of ideas we would like to incorporate. We are always learning and open to suggestions.”
If you see them while you’re out, stop by and say hello and try one of these cool treats. You will not be disappointed!