Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Langstaff.
Taylor, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Wailua Shave Ice was originally started by two family friends (Brandon Baptiste and Josh Tamaoka) on Kaua’i. I have known them for most of my life, and after graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University, I went home for a few months and they let me work for them.
They had seen great success on Kaua’i and in Portland. They gave myself and Jack Boyes the opportunity to expand to San Diego. With their branding, recipes, and support Jack and I knew we couldn’t miss out on such a great opportunity fresh out of college. After close to a year of construction and many other obstacles, we finally opened in June of 2017 sharing a space with Ob Beans coffee roasters and Coastal Natives (a retail boutique). Summer was a blur. We received a lot of support from the community and stayed busy with all of the crowds that come with the summer. Since summer has come and gone, we have Started catering events and expanded our menu to also offer “super fruit bowls”. We wanted to do something different than most acai bowls, so we’ve added a layer of chia pudding to each bowl as well as creating unique blends such as Pineapple + Macca and mango + goji. We are really excited about this new menu and its capability of providing for an everyday meal and not just our all-natural shave ice.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Our partnership with Brandon and uncle Josh has been great. Our regulars and the community have been awesome! But the process of building out our own space was a nightmare. Nothing seemed to go as planned or on time, but we certainly learned from the experience.
Shifting from being busy all summer to the quieter fall was also a learning experience. But that shift encouraged us to expand our menu, which we are really excited about! So, it hasn’t been a cake walk, but the core of our business and its support has really helped, and I think we’ve learned a lot through the few struggles we’ve encountered thus far.
Wailua Shave Ice San Diego – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our company creates unique and tasty shave ice and “super fruit/smoothie” bowls. We take something that I grew up eating as a kid on Kaua’i and have upgraded it from a sugary high fructose corn syrup desert and into an all-natural gourmet treat. We are proud that our products are made in house out with all real ingredients (no high fructose corn syrup or dyes). Our bowls are also unique, in that we have super fruit blends other than just your traditional acai. The chia pudding adds a great texture and flavor that most places don’t offer. We are proud to provide a quality consistency. Our shave ice is light and fluffy and our bowls are thick and not watery. And while we are proud of our products and hope they are an upgrade from the standard, we are most proud to share a bit of aloha here in San Diego, and hope you leave us with a smile!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is about the environment we create. Of course, we need to make enough money to keep the doors open, but success is really measured by the happiness of our team and our customers. I think we have seen a ton of success and have created a place people love to come to.
Pricing:
- Shave ice $4.50 kids, $6.25 regular
- Bowls 16oz $7.99, 24 Oz. $9.99
Contact Info:
- Address: 4879 Newport ave
- Website: Wailuashaveice.com
- Phone: 6197326106
- Email: wailuashaveicesd@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Wailuashaveicesd
- Facebook: Facebook.com/wailuashaveicesd
- Yelp: Yelp.com/biz/Wailua-shave-ice-San-diego
Image Credit:
Brianna Nolan
Lia Betanzos
Heather Cook
Makers Church
Coleman Langstaffa
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
