Couple Brings Icy Refreshment Right to Your Door

Kona Ice is not your typical frozen treat vendor.

The nationwide snow cone franchise serves communities on-the-go from a colorful truck decorated with tropical animals, playing loud Calypso music and even allowing its top-10 flavors available for self-serve.

Offering more than 40 low-calorie unique flavors, the frozen ice truck is now making its way through Morris Township and Morris Plains, driven by owners Rupesh and Marleny Patel, a Parsippany couple who brought the franchise to the area in June.

Rupesh Patel said in the first month he has had a couple of obstacles doing neighborhood runs because of noise ordinances prohibiting the truck's music, and also not being able to sell in certain locations.

But Patel is now looking to work more with local organizations for fundraising, and also at private events. The Patels are also licensed to sell in Morristown, Cedar Knolls, Whippany, Denville and Florham Park.

The company takes pride in fundraising, and has given back more than $4 million to communities all over the country in more than 140 Kona Ice trucks.

Patel said he's looking to fundraise with all types of local organizations, such as sports teams, fire departments, police departments, libraries and churches. The company gives the organization 20 percent of the sales.

Patel has also worked at several private events, and he's looking to book more. He brings the Kona Ice truck to any type of event ranging from birthday parties, grand openings, weddings, anniversaries and corporate events.

Most recently, he worked at a film set with Martin Scorsese's daughter, Cathy Scorsese, at Farleigh Dickinson University. Cathy found the business on Google and approached Patel to bring the truck for the cast and crew.

Driving the frozen ice truck with more than 40 flavors ranging from pina colada to blue raspberry and root beer float, Rupesh Patel said the thing he has enjoyed most is seeing the looks on the kids' faces when they encounter the truck.

"It's mostly the interaction with the kids," Patel said. "The kids just go crazy over the truck. They can self-serve themselves with our top-10 flavors, which is a very unique feature. It's an interactive truck."

Patel said out of all of the flavors, the blue raspberry is the most popular. There are three sizes to choose from, with the smallest one costing $3. The smallest cup of 8 oz. is only 50 calories.

Patel is looking to make more of an impact in the community, and share the refreshing icy treats to residents all summer long.

To learn more about Kona Ice, visit its website and Facebook page.