BUCKHANNON – The wait is finally over! As of Friday, local families now have a new and exciting place to visit to share an icy, cold treat.
The Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats truck made its debut at 2 p.m. Friday, May 1, when it began serving up about 20 sweet flavors of fresh shaved ice to satisfy everyone’s taste for the glacial sweet.
The Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats mobile dessert truck is located at 25 North Locust St. in Buckhannon.
While the treats will be a welcome addition to the Buckhannon area and offer a great place to get out with family with plenty of room for social distancing, the business also is “dream come true” for a trio of Buckhannon boys.
The Frostie Frigid Frog is a partnership between Nick, Andy and Dillon Ray as they join their grandfather George ‘Poppy’ Hand. And the boys each have their own reasons for joining in the family business.
Nick said he wanted to get a job this summer, and when his Poppy mentioned opening the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats, he was on board.
“It is a great idea,” Nick said.
Nick’s mother, Amanda Ray, said Nick is an athlete who plays football, wrestling and lacrosse.
“During the school year, it’s a little hard for athletes to have a job and figure out things. Poppy came up with this and Nick wants to work. Nick has always been a hard worker, and he thought this would be a great idea and allow him to balance everything,” Amanda said.
Dillon Ray said when he found out his Poppy and Nick would be working in the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats Stand, he wanted to join in as well.
“I asked if I could join with them,” Dillon said. “I think it will be really fun.”
Amanda said Dillon likes to come up with ways to earn money.
“Dillon’s goal in life is to be a self-made billionaire,” Amanda said. “He is the ice man of the business. His responsibility will be to make sure there is enough ice for the business.”
Poppy laughed and said if Dillon has some guidance, he will be there soon one day.
Andy Ray said his hope for the business is to take care of animals who join their human companions at the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats.
“I want to take care of the puppies who come with their owners to the stand,” Andy said. “I will ask the owners if they mind and I will give the puppies some plain shaved ice to drink.”
Amanda said Andy is her animal lover.
“We are going to give free treats to dogs,” Poppy said. “Anyone who brings their dog or pet with them to the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats stand will receive a little cup of shaved ice, without any flavoring, to quench their thirst on the hot days.”
Poppy said Dillion will mainly handle supplies – ice and that sort of thing and Nick is going to manage the business.
“I’m here just to help out and run and get the things they need,” Poppy said. “I will keep them supplied so they do not need anything.”
The Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats stand will be open through the summer seven days a week from 2 to 10 p.m.
“Once the weather warms up a bit, we will probably open up a little earlier and close around 9 p.m. when it gets dark,” Poppy said.
Poppy said operating the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats truck is something he’s always wanted to do.
“This is something I always wanted to do as well,” he said. “I worked for a snow cone stand when I was a kid. I have always been a bit of an entrepreneur – I had a shoeshine business as a child as well as a newspaper route. I did odd jobs and mowed lawns.”
He said working in the business will teach his grandsons lessons they could not learn in school such as work ethics and responsibility, and he hopes they also learn about planning, investing and finances.
“This will help them learn to have a prosperous, healthy and happy life,” Poppy said.
The mission of Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats is simple – they want to create and serve the Mountain State’s finest shaved ice – not to mention a memorable event for families to enjoy together.
“We produce the best shaved ice experience around,” Poppy said. “We love serving our community. Producing the finest treats with the finest ingredients [is what we’re all about]. Our customers deserve nothing but the best product at the best price. We plan to serve Buckhannon and the greater Upshur County area and will travel to various events throughout the state.”
Poppy said once the business takes off, he intends to start a custodial account for the boys.
“I want to teach them how to invest in stocks and about bonds, municipal bonds and the stock index,” he said.
In this time of COVID-19, folks are still searching for contactless delivery of items, and the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats is all about that.
“Folks can go online and make their order and pay for their items there,” Poppy said. “When they arrive, they will have a number and we can make their treats fresh and when they pull up, they can take it from the window and go.”
Nick said he believes that the stay-at-home order, slated to be changed to the safer-at-home order, slowed down the opening of their business.
“I think in the long run this has made us think a little bit harder about spreading the word of our business and about contactless delivery of our shaved ice,” Nick said.
The large parking area around the Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats will allow folks to park away from one another and it allows for large trucks to park and come for a treat.
“Eventually we hope to put out tables and umbrellas as things begin to open,” Poppy said.
“We hope to see everyone come out and support our business and enjoy our delicious treats,” Nick said.
Eventually, the family hopes to add a second truck which will be more mobile, and that they can take out for events, birthdays, weddings, picnics, fairs, festivals and more. Also, when they are at fundraising events, Poppy said they will donate 20 percent of their profits for the fundraising events to help in the community with needs.
The Frostie Frigid Frog Shaved Ice Treats has a Facebook page and may be contacted by calling 618-660-9287. They are on Twitter and Instagram. Their website is frostiefrigidfrog.net and will be operational soon.
