79 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com There are some things that instantly signal summer in the Lowcountry: RiverDogs games, boat trips, insects and sweltering heat just to name a few. Around this time of year there is also a good chance you will spot the Pelican’s SnoBalls truck, and the reaction is almost always the same. Children and parents alike get excited when they glimpse this familiar sight. It’s always a thrill to see, which is why kiddos start running when it comes. Coaches know having it at the end of a game will be a hit. For the owner of Pelican’s SnoBalls’ Mount Pleasant franchise, Will Kulseth, those moments never really get old. “Happy” isn’t a word most people use to describe a business model, but that’s exactly what drew him to Pelican’s when he bought it from a close friend. After spending much of his career working with children and families as a counselor, teacher and coach, Kulseth saw something deeper than shaved ice and flavored syrups. He saw joy. The everyday kind of joy that can be shared with families. The kind that happens when a child gets their first SnoBall or when grandparents tell stories about sweet treats they enjoyed in their youth. “We’re in the memory-making business” sounds cliché, but it is truly the mission statement behind this Lowcountry favorite. Of course, the SnoBalls themselves help. Pelican’s specializes in New Orleans-style shaved ice, which is a completely different experience from the crunchy snow cones many people grew up with. The ice is shaved so fine that it almost melts before you realize it’s there. Add one of nearly 120 flavors and suddenly choosing what to order becomes the hardest decision you’ll make all day. Blue raspberry, cotton candy, tiger blood, sour tsunami, banana pudding. Even toothpaste, for the brave. That’s before the toppings! There is cream, marshmallow, gummies, sprinkles and enough combinations to keep kids standing at the order window debating life choices for 10 minutes. But the real story isn’t in the cup. It’s in the places the truck goes. School carnivals. Football games. Family reunions. Military events. Employee appreciation days. Weddings. Graduation parties. Wherever people gather, Pelican’s seems to find its way there. The truck itself is an old FedEx delivery vehicle that, according to Kulseth, feels more like a sauna than a food truck during the summer. Yet somehow it has become part of countless celebrations across the community. What stands out most isn’t the business success. It’s the way the business embraces the community. The regular customer who stopped by to share heartbreaking family news. The students who still joke about a fake dollar bill handed over at a school event years ago. The military cadets who sprint toward the truck with the same enthusiasm as elementary school kids. For them, those moments matter as much as the product. Maybe that’s why Pelican’s feels less like a business and more like a familiar face that shows up when people are making memories. The SnoBalls may bring people to the window, but it’s the connection that keeps them coming back. BY CARI LAWSON Serving Joy & Sweet Memories Pelican’s SnoBalls food & beverage
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