Fun fact: Reggie Ignacio, owner of Original Big Island Shave Ice Company, or OBISIC, learned how to make shave ice when he was 10 years old. He says while OBISIC officially opened in 2013, his parents, Jack and Lorraine Ignacio, started making shave ice in 1957.
“They purchased their first van, started a mobile grocery store and named it Waimea Home to Home Market,” he says.
He says his parents traveled the plantation camps from North Kohala to South Hilo, selling grocery items like fresh meat, vegetables, fish, canned goods and bread, along with candies, chips, soda, ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers and their famous shave ice dessert.
After Ignacio’s dad died in 1971, his mom changed the business name to Lorraine’s Snack Mobile. She was awarded a contract from the County of Hawaiʻi to be a food vendor at Samuel Spencer Beach Park, where she continued serving customers, according to Ignacio. She became especially popular for shave ice, he says.
Ignacio remembers how his mom taught him, his sister and a few of his cousins how to make shave ice.
“Because we were located on a beach park, we enjoyed swimming every day and making new friends along the way,” he recalls. “My dad had bought this horn from the Philippines and installed it on her van. When it was lunch rush hour, she would sound this loud horn, telling us that we needed to return to the wagon and make shave ice.
“We would finish helping her throughout the daily rush hours,” he adds. “We were there for play, but my mom knew otherwise; she was instilling in us the ethics of work before play.”
In 1977, Lorraine ended up at Kahuluʻu Beach Park and kept her business there until retiring in 1997.
Following his mom's retirement, from 1997 to 2010, Ignacio would only bring out the shave ice machines to make desserts at family get togethers. When people suggested that he do shave ice, he initially turned down the idea.
“Even today, the rhythm of that crazy horn, as we would call it, is embedded in my mind!” he says.
But in 2010, his family started to create the concept behind OBISIC.
“It took us a year and a half to build what we wanted to bring back out — not the same stuff that everybody has,” he says.
Even though OBISIC was born in 2013, many locals know the Ignacio's ʻohana as “the shave ice family.”
“The history goes back to 1957; all the old timers know me,” Ignacio says. “I researched and went all over the State, trying shave ice. We are one of the oldest (shave ice businesses) because of our history.”
OBISIC started as a mobile business and in 2021, the biz moved opened in its current location at Kings’ Shops in Waikōloa.
When asked about OBISIC’s uniqueness, Ignacio says the deep history of their product, combined with the love and desire to carry on his mom’s tradition that started 68 years ago, sets them apart from other businesses.
“I know of only two other shave ice shops in the State of Hawaiʻi — that are still operating — that have that history as well, dating back to the 1940s,” he says.
OBISIC offers a variety of shave ice specialties — there are Lorraine’s old-school offerings of traditional flavors; natural fruit flavors; and other contemporary flavors.
“We did not want to take away from what made her ‘The Shave Ice Lady’ of West Hawaiʻi,” Ignacio says. “Her secret recipes, style and art of perfecting her product are preserved through her third and fourth generations. My son is the next — he’s the third generation now — and my granddaughter is the fourth generation; she does shave ice, too.”
Customers can create their own shave ice, or choose from OBISIC’s specialty desserts ($11-$12 each), which feature pre-set combos. These specialty treats feature fully loaded shave ice with Roselani ice cream on the bottom.
“They’re topped with our homemade syrups, made from 100% cane sugar and all the fixings on top that pair well,” Ignacio says. “What makes this real special is that each creation was created by individual family members of ours.”
Customer favorites include Mana’s Chantilly, Kona Coffee, Halo Halo, and Noelani. Mana's Chantilly features mac nut ice cream on the bottom, chocolate syrup, condensed cream, Chantilly drizzle, whipped cream and chopped mac nuts.
“We’re the only one in the State of Hawaiʻi doing Chantilly shave ice,” says Ignacio, who explains that this flavor was inspired by his son-in-law. “He played University of Hawaiʻi football; he always liked Chantilly cake.”
Kona coffee ($11) was built as a “counter to Starbucks’ Frappuccino,” according to Ignacio. It comprises Kona coffee ice cream, Kona coffee syrup, caramel or chocolate drizzle, condensed cream, whipped cream and a wafer on top.
The Noelani ($11) is a popular option if you want something fruity. It features haupia ice cream topped with mango, pineapple and coconut syrups, condensed cream and a haupia topping. It’s refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness, thanks to the indulgent haupia topping.
Ignacio also recommends trying the strawberry sundae or pineapple cream ($11 each). The former includes vanilla ice cream, cream syrup, strawberry sundae syrup, strawberry puree, condensed cream, whipped cream and a wafer. The latter is reminiscent of the pineapple guri guri from Tasaka Guri Guri on Maui.
“The traditional pineapple has the same base as Tasaka Guri Guri,” Ignacio says. “Our strawberry sundae has a milk flavor; it’s supposed to replicate ice cream.
“The ice is so smooth that people think they are eating ice cream,” he adds. “They don’t realize the whole thing is ice because it’s so fine.”
The Waikōloa shop is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays). In the coming months, the business will expanding to the Mainland and opening its first store in Las Vegas.
“Because of the great demand and popularity of our product, we were approached by hundreds of entrepreneurs to franchise our business,” Ignacio says. “We respect that, but it’s something that is very special to our family. We will be expanding our company organically, in house for now.
“If you haven’t tried the Original Big Island Shave Ice, I invite you to visit us and experience our family tradition since 1957,” he adds. “We love making new friends, one shave ice at a time.”
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CONTACT
Original Big Island Shave Ice Co.
Kings’ Shops
250 Waikōloa Beach Drive, Waikōloa
808-895-6069
obisic.squarespace.com
Instagram: @originalbigislandshaveiceco
Open 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays
Closed Mondays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
