Tulsa Shaved Ice History
Tulsa Shaved Ice History
Tulsa Shaved Ice History
Shaved Ice History
Ancient History
Similar to what the Japanese did, during the Roman Empire, legends say that the Roman emperor sent his servants to get snow from the mountains and bring it to the city, where flavored syrup was added. This is considered to be the first true frozen dessert.
Modern Era
In the late 1800s, some theaters began serving them to their upper-class patrons. By 1919, Samuel Bert invented the snow cone machine, and tested it out during the Texas State Fair. Needless to say, it was a success.
When the Great Depression struck the United States, shaved ice was one treat which endured, as they were relatively inexpensive, making them a good item to sell. The process became easier in 1934, thanks to a man in New Orleans who invented the block ice shaver. No longer did shaved ice need to be made entirely by hand. When World War II broke out, shaved ice became the go-to replacement for ice cream since ice cream was being shipped overseas as a treat for the U.S. Navy.
These days, shaved ice and snow cone stands are commonly seen during the summer, offered with many colorful flavors and toppings. No matter the day or age, it doesn’t seem like snow cones are going anywhere anytime soon.
Shaved Ice, Italian Ice and Snow Cones – What’s the Difference?
What’s the Difference?
Frozen Desserts
- Italian ice – this concoction is closer to ice cream or sorbet, but it doesn’t include any milk. The ingredients are mixed together and frozen like ice cream. It’s also called water ice.
- Granita – this dessert is related to sorbet or gelato, but it typically has a coarser texture, more like a sno-cone. Granita is a mixture that is frozen then scraped to separate the crystals before serving.
- Sno-cone or snow cone – Sno-cones are usually coarse and granular ice covered in a syrup usually served in a paper cup or cone. Plain ice is crushed into fine pieces.
- Shaved ice or snowballs – Water is frozen into blocks, then finely shaved right before serving, almost like a snow. The small pieces of ice absorb the flavoring, which is added after shaving. In Texas, it might be referred to as a raspa, or raspado. New Orleans calls them Sno-balls. Each culture seems to have their own name for this type of dessert.
- Slushie – this frozen drink is made with a mixture of sugar, flavor and water. The machine stirs the mixture and keeps it from freezing hard, so that wet, slurry mixture is created.
- Snow cream – this could refer to snow ice cream, where snow is mixed with a sweetened dairy base to make a fun dessert. It might also be a cream-based dessert or whipped cream.
Which Is Better?
How to Host a Shaved Ice Customer Appreciation Day
How to Host a Shaved Ice Customer Appreciation Day: If your business is having an anniversary or would just like to get some notice, host a special day for your customers. Bring in a snow cone truck to your Tulsa location and give everyone who stops by a special treat. With the temperatures warming up, a cup of shaved ice is a nice sweet that could really bring in customers. But, planning an event like this doesn’t just happen. You have to plan. Here’s a checklist to help keep you on track.
Topics we will cover in this article about How to Host a Shaved Ice Customer Appreciation Day:
- Set Goals and Create a Strategy
- Keeping Within Budget
- Planning a Date
- Getting the Word Out
- The Day of the Event
Set Goals and Create a Strategy
Before making specific plans, you should consider what you hope to achieve with this event. Start with a strategy. Make your goals, SMART, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Having a plan as to what you want out of an event can help you target your message and reach the right audience. A customer appreciation event isn’t just about thanking customers, it’s about branding, boosting sales and engaging customers.
Keeping Within Budget
Most likely, your small business will have to fund your event on its own. A shaved ice truck in Tulsa is very affordable and can handle small and large gatherings. If you have a neighboring business who would work with you, it might be worth sharing the expense. Your budget may need to include marketing, licenses and permits. It’s always a good idea to plan a 10 percent cushion for unexpected expenses.
Planning a Date
You need time for marketing and planning before your event. While you want a date that makes sense for your business, you also need to work around other local activities. You may need to be flexible. Think about your target customer. You may need to avoid holidays or popular vacation times, such as spring or fall break. It’s also important to make sure the shaved ice truck catering is available that day and time.
Getting the Word Out
Once you’ve set a date, it’s time to make sure your event is well attended. Use every marketing tool you have, from social media, email lists and direct mail. Put posters up in your store. Ask to get it on the calendar at your local Chamber of Commerce. Ask customers to share the event on their social media. Schedule a local celeb, like the mayor, a Tulsa Driller team member or football star to come out and join you. Use that in your publicity.
Your potential customer may need to see or hear the message at least seven times before taking action. Make sure to tell your target market why they should come out to your business. Send a press release and give journalists a reason why your event matters. Talk up your customer appreciation day as much as you can.
The Day of the Event
Have a plan to measure attendance and sales specifically at the event. Delegate responsibilities across your team but remind everyone to pitch in to fill gaps. Don’t forget to have a team member responsible for taking pictures of the event. Share photos on social media as they occur to keep the buzz going. Although the shaved ice catering team gives out the snow cones, you should engage with your customers and get them interested in what’s new in your store.
Celebrate Birthdays With a Shaved Ice Party
Celebrate Birthdays With a Shaved Ice Party: Shaved ice might bring to mind a tropical luau, but there’s no reason to have a Hawaiian-themed party just to serve shaved ice treats. Snow cones and shaved ice are fun treats that can help your guests cool off after the activities at your event. If you’re looking for party ideas in Tulsa that are affordable and simple, bring winter to your spring, summer or fall party with shaved ice from Harper’s Hut.
3 Birthday Party Ideas With Shaved Ice
If you need to make a birthday special, let us help you plan the event. We have special packages that can take the stress out of planning. We have special menus to make your event special and memorable. Choose the event idea that fits into your party and let us handle the rest.
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Movie and a sno-cone
Kids and teens will enjoy a low-key evening with a movie and gourmet snow cones. We bring a huge 12-foot screen, professional sound system and video projector and handle all the set-up. You choose a movie from the Criterion list that we can show to your guests. Plus, we serve gourmet shaved ice during the evening to keep everyone happy.
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Snowball fight
We prepare buckets of shaved ice that can be used to make snowballs for a great party. When the Oklahoma temperatures seem unbearable, you and your guests will enjoy throwing snowballs at each other to help everyone cool off. Afterwards, serve up gourmet shaved ice treats made by our sno-istas.
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The Ice Chest
For smaller groups, bring shaved ice treats to your party in an ice chest. We pack up shaved ice in a cooler and include three gourmet flavors of your choice. If you’re in a time crunch, we can even deliver it right to your party to knock one item off your to-do list. The Ice Chest serves up to 40 people and it keeps the shaved ice cold for several hours. Let us give you flavors that enhance your theme. We love to be creative.
Shaved Ice Catering
The best way to enjoy Hawaiian shave ice is right as it is prepared. If you’re hosting a huge group of people for an event, we bring the shaved ice to your party and serve your guests. Our team knows how to plan a party for a big day. Let us help you plan your event and make it the best one ever with shaved ice and sno cones prepared right on site. Whatever type of birthday party you’re hosting, from a kid’s birthday party, a formal quinceañera or grandma’s 80th birthday party, we’ve got you covered with fun flavors.
Our mission is to provide affordable desserts that are family-friendly. We promise to have the softest snow for creating delicious gourmet treats. We use high-quality syrup and premium add-ins, like gummi bears, sour worms and whip cream. Whether you visit one of our stores or have us cater your event, you know you’ll be getting personal service and an excellent shaved ice treat.
Snow Cones vs. Shaved Ice
You could travel all over the world and discover all kinds of ice-based treats. Their names might be different, their flavors might vary, and you might find there are a great number of techniques used to make them, but one thing is for certain. Ice treats are loved across the globe. In Tulsa, two of the most popular varieties of these frozen desserts are snow cones and shaved ice. People sometimes use these phrases used interchangeably, but they actually describe two different treats.
How are they different? While, admittedly, they do share some similarities, the ice’s texture is where the greatest difference lies. The following will help you understand more about these famous desserts and what makes them unique.
What is a Snow Cone?
No doubt, you’ve probably eaten at least one snow cone (AKA a sno cone or snowball) in your life, especially if you avidly attend baseball games and carnivals.
These ice-based desserts are covered with a sweet, flavored syrup, and have a crunchy texture. Much of the syrup served with snow cones usually flows towards the bottom of their serving container, so the lower half of the snow cone often has more flavor than the upper portion.
They’re mostly served in a Styrofoam cup or wax paper cone. Perhaps the largest difference, however, is that snow cones are made using crushed ice which tends to stay in larger shards.
What is Shaved Ice?
Shaved ice is known by many names, depending where you are from. You might know it as Hawaiian ice or shave ice, but it all refers to this particular dessert. AD: Find Marriage & Family Services Tulsa>
Unlike snow cones, which tend to be crunchier and made with thicker ice shavings, shaved ice is a texture more like snow. It’s soft, fluffy, and holds the flavored syrup consistently throughout the ice. Often, you will find you have more variety of flavors to choose from with shaved ice than you would with a standard snow cone.
You could go for the traditional method of eating shaved ice with tropical fruit flavors such as mango, kiwi fruit, pineapple, or maybe a combination of several fruits.
Alternatively, you could choose from more unconventional flavors, such as root beer to dill pickle. Another difference is that shaved ice tends to be sold in different locations than snow cones, usually a roadside shaved ice stand, or sometimes in a mobile shaved ice truck. Instead of using crushed ice, shaved ice is quite literally shaved from a large ice block. In addition to all of this, shaved ice can be served with various toppings.
If you ever try traditional Hawaii shave ice, the cone or cup it’s served in might have vanilla ice cream at the bottom, or possibly some adzuki bean paste. In some cases, the top of the shaved ice might even be covered with sweetened condensed milk. If you have it this way, you’re eating your shaved ice with a “snow cap.”
No matter which one you prefer, if you enjoy these ice-based treats, look for a Tulsa shaved ice service near you.
Best Tulsa Snow Cones
Best Tulsa Snow Cones
Best Tulsa Snow Cones
Harper’s Hut makes the best Tulsa Snow Cones. We’ve been blessed to win Best of The Best Tulsa World once and be runner up two years in a row. We’ve been privileged to work with Snowie 3000’s, Hatsuyuki’s, Swan Block Shavers, and many other machines. We’ve worked with wet ice, dry ice, block ice, cube ice, awful ice, and amazing ice. This experience has given us the experience we needed to make the best Tulsa Snow Cones. Book an Event.
Serving Green country with our shaved ice has been fun, a blast, an adventure. We’ve seen families connect, reconnect, and build lasting relationships with friends and others. For the Best Tulsa Snow Cones call (918) 698-7101
At our stands we have hula-hoops, games, Frisbee, soccer balls, bubbles, and so much more. Come enjoy an evening eating a sno ball and having a blast at Harper’s Hut.
What’s a sno ball? Sno ball is the New Orleans name for shaved ice. Although we prefer to call our product shaved ice, indeed, it is no different then a sno ball. Even the antiquated name snow cone can refer to our products. We however do have incredibly soft shaved ice, so whatever you call it, it’s going to be greatness!
Events:
When March comes, shaved ice season is full bast. We enjoy doing 100s of shaved ice and java events each year.
Prices:
We are the most competitively priced shaved ice business in Green Country. We are home grown and have studied shaved ice business across the planet in order to develop our own products. Call For Information (918) 698-7101
Weddings
Among weddings, we have several different set ups for classy events. From board rooms to out door festivals, we have the gear and the products to be an integral part of your big day. Call for more details about our wedding set up.
Enjoy Snow!
Our greatest joy is to see kids smile. Come and enjoy a sno ball at Harper’s hut today.
Snow Cones Tulsa | A Party Favorite
SNOW CONES TULSA
Snow Cones Tulsa | A Party Favorite Every Time!
The last three years have flown by! Harper’s Hut has ad the privilege of becoming one of the premier snow cone vendors in Tulsa. Not to mention winning Best Of The Best Tulsa and being runner-up 2 years following. We boast the softest ice in Tulsa, the most flavors, combinations, fun, and we aren’t done yet! Each year our snow cones raise over $10,000 for local charities such as The Little Lighthouse, Down Syndrome of America, Church That Matters, and Many other charities.
Snow Cones Tulsa | Where!!?
Last year alone we had 75 events in Tulsa from schools, parties, birthdays, corporate parties, retreats, fundraisers, and more. We were in Tulsa every week and downtown several of those weeks. Follow our facebook to find out where we will be next. Remember snow cones is another name for shaved ice, we use specific machines, so our ice is definitely shaved. We use the best cube ice machine and the best block ice machine. if you don’t know what I am saying, I am saying the ice is really, really soft! Unlike a traditional snow cone.
For more information visit our website, email us harpershut1@gmail.com, or just call us (918) 698-7101
800 Shaved Ice
800 Shaved Ice | Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice | Tulsa, Oklahoma
Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice is first a leader in the shaved ice business. Our roots are deep within our communities on the serving and pleasing customers, side of things. Only recently have we hit a critical mass with the amount of gear we own and decided to start leasing and renting it out to the public. If you are looking to purchase a machine there are great places such as 1-800-shaved-ice and several great spots in New Orleans. That is not what we hope to accomplish with our rentals, we hope to meet the need of local businesses and individuals hoping to rent a tent, cooler, machine, and purchase flavors for their individual events.
Ice Truck/Coffee Truck
Yes, we would love to be the ice truck at your event. WE can easily sell 800 shaved ice cups. That is what we do. But we’re not trying to hog all the fun! We understand, in a do-it-yourself age, there are plenty of opportunities for others to recreate a great experience as well. We just want to make sure you are using the correct machines and vending the best flavors and combinations! Which Harper’s Hut rents the best machines and sells the best flavors and combinations in Green Country.
A lot of maintenance goes into a machine, you don’t want to buy one if you don’t use it regularly. If you are seeking to do 1-3 events a year. Then rent your machines from Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice. Serve up 800 Shaved Ice cups in a flash and have fun doing it.
Your one stop shop for 800 Shaved Ice.
For booking information please visit our website, or check us out on Facebook or just call us for more details (918) 698-7101
Tulsa Snow Cone | Catering
Tulsa Snow Cone | Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice | Catering
Tulsa Snow Cone | Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice | Catering
When it comes to catering desserts in Tulsa, there are only so many options. You see Panera catering bagels, Chick-fil-A catering chicken sandwiches, Oklahoma Joe’s catering barbecue. But who is the number one option when it comes to catering snow cones Tulsa? We know Merrett’s Bakery is an incredible pastry bakery! But that isn’t what you’re looking for is it. We’d like to think we are the best option in Green Country will. Each year Harper’s Hut caters hundreds of private parties, festivals, corporate events, weddings. Through this process, we’ve designed and developed our own style of catering. If you are looking for gourmet coffee, espressos, lattes, or our famous gourmet shaved ice then feel free to book us through our online booking system.
We understand that you may be serving people with food allergies, die allergies, and people watching their diets. That is why we offer sugar-free flavors, dye free flavors, kosher, and nut free options. So be good to yourself Tulsa. Invite the best gourmet coffee and gourmet shaved ice caterer in Green Country. Catering is a big decision. Our caterers prepare the food onsite. So you get the added enjoyment of heightened aromas! Remember, when you’re looking for Snow Cone Tulsa and in need of a wedding, corporate party, private party, nonprofit event, or birthday party caterer look for Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice. Lastly, we don’t want to leave anyone out, if you’re an October, November, and December baby we’ve got you covered! Indoors or outdoors. Summer or winter. We are snow cones Tulsa.
If you’re unsure about how to begin, we even have online training for shaved ice and catering to teach you everything you need to know.
We are your one stop shop for Tulsa Snow Cone.
Contact us on Facebook or our Website or call (918) 698-7101
Snow Cone Truck
Snow Cone Truck | Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice
Snow Cone Truck | Harper’s Hut Shaved Ice | Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mom and dad, make sure you choose the proper Snow Cone truck for your kid’s birthday party! It’s not the same as those trucks that drive around the neighborhoods with the pre-packed ice cream. Our desserts are made on the spot with the softest ice and the best flavors. We even have fun music playing and even have a snowball fight if wanted. Big birthday parties or small birthday parties we can cater to both. We can bring our trailer or we can bring our tent, or we can just serve your party from a table, it really depends on what you need. For a highly fun, tailored, and memorable experience that will be talked about for years call Harper’s Hut to book our Snow Cone Truck.
We know that sometimes you’re thinking about yourselves just as much as you’re thinking about your kids when inviting a Snow Cone truck. That is why we bring dessert options tailored towards kids and adults. Modern America will be defined by speed and convenience. Our snow’ista’s are as fast as anyone. In regard to convenience, we will come to any place you’re having a party. No electricity required too. Unfortunately with speed and convenience sometimes quality is lost. At Harper’s Hut shaved ice we do not sacrifice quality in place of speed. Believe us when we tell you we are the best in the state at making shaved ice, wait a minute, high quality shaved ice. Don’t believe us yet? Harper’s Hut won Best of the Best Tulsa for shaved ice! Let us be the Snow Cone truck that serves you delicious gourmet shaved ice at your next birthday party.
We are your one stop shop for Snow Cone Truck.
Contact us on Facebook or our Website or call (918) 698-7101
