Cassidy Crowley and Genevieve Iida, both 10th graders at Punahou School, first met years ago through family friends while surfing. They both previously worked for ʻĀina Haina’s beloved Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha, which shuttered after nearly 30 years in March, and proposed their new business idea to co-founders Uncle Clay and his nephew Bronson Chang.
“In preparation for our meeting with Bronson, we listened to a negotiation podcast, but he was so nice and gave us everything we needed to get our business started for a great price, from recipes and syrups to equipment and advice,” the pair told Aloha State Daily. “All we had to do was set our budget, invest in an ice chest freezer and figure out how to be profitable.”
The venture’s namesake Shred Shave Ice is a play on their passions for catching waves, cutting ice and giving back to the local community.
Over the last two months, Crowley and Iida said they have already paid off the business' initial startup costs and turned a profit.
In partnership with kid dream cultivator nonprofit ViviStop Honolulu, the partners held their first pop-up at Kāhala Mall last month. There they introduced themselves to new and returning HOPA customers, who enjoyed the cool treat made with all-natural ingredients and syrups.
“One of our goals is to carry on Uncle Clay’s legacy of sharing aloha and positivity with others,” Crowley said. “We’re still so young and have so much more to learn in life. We both like the business side, learning what works and what doesn’t, taking advantage of the opportunities ahead, but we’re also both creative.”
In addition to sales and marketing, the pair has also been learning lessons in preparation and "calculations," they both said with a laugh. "That's been the most challenging part. We hosted a pre-launch party for friends and family and had overstuffed our freezer with water the night before. The water didn't freeze in time and we didn't have enough ice to serve everyone. It's been a lot of trial-and-error."
Entrepreneurship has always been part of Crowley's journey - in fifth grade, she invented The Baby Toon, a baby-safe silicone spoon, that she pitched successfully on Shark Tank. She worked at HOPA for almost a year leading up to its closure and remembers going to the store often having grown up in the area.
Iida applied for the job at HOPA after hearing about its “fun work environment” from Crowley, she said. “We formed so many friendships with our co-workers, it was devastating when HOPA closed. But we continue to instill those same core values – kindness, connection, and the true meaning of aloha – in what we do and are making it our own.”
The pair have found success serving up shave ice at private events, too, with graduation season in full swing, and summer and birthday bashes lined up. They said their pricing and packages are customizable, based on the size of the party.
“Doing another pop-up is something we’d like to do in the future,” they said, although none are currently planned.
Looking ahead, the pair plans to continue to use all-natural fruits and ingredients to promote sustainability and support agriculture in Hawaiʻi, they said. “Right now, we are using the original recipes from HOPA, which were graciously gifted to us by Uncle Clay and Bronson. We’re grateful for them and everyone else in our lives who have helped us build this brand.”
“We couldn't do it without people in the community, without HOPA and without the Aloha Spirit.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs, their advice is: “If you have something you're passionate about, don't let your age or the things people say, stop you. Just go for it and try because you really never know unless you try. You can do anything you put your mind to. Be a positive person and be kind to others."
To book Shred Shave Ice, direct message them on Instagram:
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
