Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Officer.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It was April 2020, about a month into quarantine, and my wife Jeanne wanted to do something special for our kids to break up the monotony. We had visited Hawaii several times and we all love Hawaiian shave ice so she researched the most authentic shave ice company in San Diego. She found Mahalo Shave Ice Co, called the number, and talked to the owner, Chad. He sadly explained that he was closing the business due to the pandemic and couldn’t do a single stop to just one house. Jeanne doesn’t take no for an answer, however, so she called up a group of her friends who all live in central San Diego and got all of them to book his truck on the same day to come to each of their houses. They all invited their neighbors over for socially distanced block parties and he made all the stops. He called Jeanne later that evening to tell her that he actually did well that day and her idea had inspired him to keep his business open and change his business model to make neighborhood stops. He ended up staying in business and even thriving throughout the entire quarantine period!
Jeanne and I stayed in touch with Chad over the next few months and one night Jeanne had a dream that we were in business together. She called him the next day to ask if he had ever thought about franchising his business, and the conversation kept going. We are now business partners and Jeanne and I are the proud owners of our own mobile catering company, Mahalo Shave Ice Co – North County, and co-owners of our brick-and-mortar location in the Zion Market Food Court in Kearny Mesa. We are working together to make Mahalo bigger and better while keeping the core principles that the company was founded on at the forefront. We hand-craft each shave ice with love, flavors imported from Hawaii, delicious toppings, and biodegradable spoons, straws, and bowls. Our mission is to spread the spirit of Aloha, give back to our communities, and put smiles on the faces of our customers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a business in the midst of a global pandemic has of course had its challenges! From supply chain delays to event cancelations, we’ve experienced it all. But perseverance has seen us through. We are fully operational and just waiting on a generator upgrade so we can also serve authentic Dole Whip from our gourmet concession trailer soon!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Before the pandemic, I was a professional musician and songwriter. I bring the creative and artistic side of my former business to Mahalo, along with my experience booking events and managing logistics. Each shave ice is a hand-crafted work of art that we bring to corporate events, weddings, and private parties.
What sets Mahalo Shave Ice Co apart from others is our authenticity and quality. Those who know real Hawaiian Shave Ice know that it’s not a crunchy snow cone! We use special machines to shave the ice into a soft and smooth snow-like texture, our flavors are imported from Hawaii, and we include ice cream and delicious toppings like Ghirardelli’s chocolate, condensed milk, mochi, gummy bears, and more.
We are also proud to spread the spirit of Aloha and give back to our community. We donate a portion of our profits to non-profit organizations and are associated with BuenaOndaProject.org, a charity working to build a free child-care center in Punta Colonet, Mexico to care for the children of single mothers working in the farm fields.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Flying to St. Louis with my family and going to a Cardinals baseball game!
Contact Info:
- Email: hi@lovemymahalo.com
- Website: www.lovemymahalo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahaloshaveiceco.sdnorth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mahaloshaveicecosdnorth
