---
title: "Kona Ice Brings a One-of-a-Kind Experience to Residents in Genoa City"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/fe00e949-5556-4c18-8513-d6b6d2a29b74
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20221208_kona_ice_brings_a_oneofakind_experience_to_residents_in_genoa_city.html
category: "Snacks & dessert"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Snacks & dessert"
published: 2022-12-08T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T01:04:53.459Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/konaice.jpg
---

# Kona Ice Brings a One-of-a-Kind Experience to Residents in Genoa City

**TL;DR:** Kona Ice is expanding in Genoa City, WI, with a mobile franchise bringing a unique experience to residents, schools, and organizations. The franchise is committed to philanthropy, having raised $100 million in total donations nationwide since 2007.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2022-12-08. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20221208_kona_ice_brings_a_oneofakind_experience_to_residents_in_genoa_city.html).*

## Story

“We wanted to own a Kona Ice truck to give back to our schools and the community, and to give our children a safe place to work,” said Mishel Klein, co-owner of Kona Ice of Genoa City alongside her husband, Kris Klein. “People love seeing the Kona truck show up, especially the kids. It always puts a smile on their faces. We can definitely use more of that in this world.”

Kona Ice’s escape from the ordinary begins as the sounds of tropical calypso music fills the air at each event and group gathering. The fun continues as all in attendance get their overflowing cups of freshly shaved ice and then help themselves to any of the ten tastes on the truck’s Flavorwave™, Kona’s innovative self-service dispensing system that allows for full customization. Guests also have the option to choose from the additional 20-plus flavors and 500 different combinations offered.

“We have already been able to give back to our baseball fields, football program, and now the Booster Club wants us there as much as possible for every high school sporting event,” said Mishel. “Since getting our truck in May, we estimate we’ve given back about $1,000 to the community. We can’t wait to continue serving our community through this business.”

Dedicated to making a difference in local areas, Kona Ice continues to be committed to philanthropy in the communities it serves, raising $100 million in total donations nationwide since 2007. Kris and Mishel are continuing the world’s largest food truck franchise’s tradition of donating thousands of dollars each year to local school groups, teams and community organizations. The Kleins pledge to give back a percentage of the proceeds from each event they host.

“Kris and Mishel share our commitment to giving back,” said Tony Lamb, founder and president of Florence, Ky.-based Kona Ice. “They have always been very passionate about their community and want to have a positive influence in the community, whether it’s new text books, sports uniforms or, simply, a smile. We are proud to have them on-board. Together, we are excited to make a difference in the lives of those around us.”

Beyond fundraisers, popular spots for the food truck franchise include stops throughout Genoa City at school, church and other community events.

Founded in 2007 by Tony Lamb, Kona Ice launched its first Kona Entertainment Vehicle (KEV) in Florence, Kentucky, offering a unique combination of cleanliness, friendliness, and a one-of-a-kind experience, featuring the opportunity to create your very own shaved ice on the self-serve Flavorwave™, while enjoying the soothing sights and sounds from the tropics, all while giving back to each and every community Kona Ice serves. Since inception, Kona Ice has given back more than $100 million back to neighborhood schools, organizations and teams. Today, Kona Ice has grown to more than 1,400 mobile units that serve 49 states across the country.

Kona Ice has been named one of the top eight franchises in the United States by TheStreet.com, ranked on Entrepreneur’s “Fastest-Growing” franchises list multiple years in a row and has earned many other nationwide, industry and local awards. For more on Kona Ice, visit the brand’s online Newsroom and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news.

It's time for a fresh start. Join Kona Ice today! We're a low-investment, fast-growing business with over 1,500 franchises in the last 12 years. And we've continued to rank #1 in franchisee satisfaction for the last 9 years...enough said!

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- community involvement (topic)
- Twitter (company)
- philanthropy (topic)
- Kona Ice (company)
- Tony Lamb (person)
- mobile franchise (topic)
- Genoa City (location)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20221208_kona_ice_brings_a_oneofakind_experience_to_residents_in_genoa_city.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/fe00e949-5556-4c18-8513-d6b6d2a29b74).
