Tony Lamb is the founder and CEO of Kona Ice, the cellular shaved ice franchise (ranked #30 on the 2025 Franchise 500) recognized for its tropical vehicles, kid-friendly Flavorwave station and deep group involvement. Lamb began out in gross sales, then launched Kona Ice in 2007, initially as a aspect hustle to show his children about enterprise. He felt the ice cream truck mannequin was outdated, typically related to poor high quality and unreliable operators. When he thought of shaved ice — with its low product and labor prices and its extra interactive nature in comparison with ice cream — he knew it was the suitable match.
Kona Ice has since grown right into a 2,200-unit nationwide franchise that is returned greater than $200 million to varsities and native organizations. Regardless of the expansion, the model’s $3,000 annual royalty price hasn’t modified in practically 20 years.
Through the pandemic, Lamb expanded his portfolio with Travelin’ Tom’s Espresso, a cellular espresso idea (#217 on the Franchise 500) named after his father and Beverly Ann’s Cookies, a dessert truck impressed by his mom.
Find out how Lamb constructed a recession-proof, feel-good franchise enterprise — and what recommendation he has for aspiring entrepreneurs — right here.
Responses have been edited for size and readability.
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How did your prior expertise put together you to launch a cellular shaved ice enterprise?
I began promoting vacuum cleaners throughout faculty, door-to-door, in Kentucky. I finally graduated and ran six places of work, had 300 salespeople and made “rock star” cash for some time. It is a powerful enterprise, nevertheless it teaches you every part about small enterprise: advertising and marketing, buyer interplay, sourcing and constructing groups. After that, I did advertising and marketing consulting for some time. That gave me the boldness to suppose, If I can work out vacuums and cellular advertising and marketing, I can work out an ice cream truck.
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What sparked the thought for Kona Ice?
One summer season, I used to be in my yard, and an ice cream truck got here down the road. My children ran towards it, and it was every part you warn children about: a shirtless man in a white van with a couple of stickers on the aspect. I assumed, This business is already a part of our tradition, nevertheless it’s been dragged right down to the bottom frequent denominator. What if we constructed one thing stunning, open and interactive that folks might belief?
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Plenty of individuals have nice concepts. How did you go from an concept to your first truck?
I knew the best way to make a automobile look nice as a result of I would constructed cellular billboard vehicles earlier than. I employed an engineer and a designer, brainstormed every part from format to buyer interplay and constructed the primary truck in 2007. I assumed I would have, possibly, 5 vehicles as a aspect hustle to show my children about enterprise. However once I let somebody within the subsequent county strive one they usually succeeded, I knew I had one thing larger.
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You began franchising only a 12 months later. Why so quick?
A man noticed the truck on trip and needed one in Nashville. I spotted franchising was one of the best ways to carry the model tightly. Security and belief have been central, and you may’t get that if anybody can run their very own model. I set the royalty at $3,000 a 12 months — and I’ve by no means raised it. I did not need to get grasping. I needed franchisees to maintain the lion’s share of the cash.
What have been the important thing improvements that helped Kona Ice develop?
The large one is the Flavorwave, a self-serve taste station on the aspect of the truck. It gave children a “keys to the sweet retailer” feeling and justified a better worth level. For franchisees in colder climates, we added the Kona Mini so they may work indoor occasions. And, from day one, our franchisees made cash, which fueled development.
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The pandemic worn out all occasions for a big period of time. How did you adapt?
We have been 95% event-based, and inside two weeks, each occasion was gone. I spent two days within the fetal place, then we launched “Curbside Kona” utilizing tailored supply software program. Clients booked stops on-line; we optimized routes and texted them arrival occasions. That saved us in April and Could. From there, we constructed a $4 million customized platform, Kona OS, which now handles every part from routing to advertising and marketing. It has made scaling a lot simpler.
Kona Ice can also be recognized for giving again. How did that begin?
In 2008, through the financial disaster, PTAs informed me that they had no funds. I provided to come back to varsities, promote to children and provides the PTA 25 to 30% again. Shaved ice has nice margins, so why not? It locked us into the group — we weren’t simply promoting a product; we have been serving to fund helmets, playgrounds, uniforms. That grew to become our tradition, and now our franchisees have given again over $200 million.
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You’ve got since launched Travelin’ Tom’s Espresso and Beverly Ann’s Cookies. What was the inspiration to launch these manufacturers?
Throughout Covid downtime, I dusted off some ideas I would been sitting on. We prototyped a espresso truck and named it after my dad — a colourful, gregarious man. It took off. Then I created a cookie-and-ice-cream truck named after my mother, utilizing her faculty portrait on the aspect. Each manufacturers use the identical cellular merchandising rules that make Kona profitable.
Wanting again, what is the single most vital choice you made that set Kona Ice on this path?
Not altering the royalty. Buyers have informed me to modify to a proportion, however that is not who we’re. Maintaining it at $3,000 a 12 months makes franchisees wholesome and retains competitors out. You may’t construct what we have constructed and cost what we cost — and I need the individuals doing the work to make the cash.
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Tony Lamb is the founder and CEO of Kona Ice, the cellular shaved ice franchise (ranked #30 on the 2025 Franchise 500) recognized for its tropical vehicles, kid-friendly Flavorwave station and deep group involvement. Lamb began out in gross sales, then launched Kona Ice in 2007, initially as a aspect hustle to show his children about enterprise. He felt the ice cream truck mannequin was outdated, typically related to poor high quality and unreliable operators. When he thought of shaved ice — with its low product and labor prices and its extra interactive nature in comparison with ice cream — he knew it was the suitable match.
Kona Ice has since grown right into a 2,200-unit nationwide franchise that is returned greater than $200 million to varsities and native organizations. Regardless of the expansion, the model’s $3,000 annual royalty price hasn’t modified in practically 20 years.
Through the pandemic, Lamb expanded his portfolio with Travelin’ Tom’s Espresso, a cellular espresso idea (#217 on the Franchise 500) named after his father and Beverly Ann’s Cookies, a dessert truck impressed by his mom.
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