The history of Craig's Shave Ice dates all the way back to a family vacation to Seattle, Washington in 1995. Growing up in Yankton, South Dakota, most of my friends were either Minnesota Twins fans or Kansas City Royals fans, but I marched to the beat of a different drum. For some peculiar reason, I decided to pledge my allegiance to the Seattle Mariners. Living in the Midwest meant I rarely caught their games on TV, so when my 11th birthday rolled around, my parents surprised me with a trip to Seattle. As we strolled along the marina, I spotted a vendor selling shave ice by the roadside. It was my first encounter with this delightful treat, and I was hooked from the first taste.

I mentioned to my step-father how cool it would be to sell shave ice like the street vendor we saw. Little did I know, he took my words to heart. A year later, during another family vacation in the Black Hills, fate intervened. My step-father overheard a distributor pitching shave ice to the resort's poolside concession stand. Being the entrepreneurial spirit that he was, he saw an opportunity. After their discussion, my parents approached me with a business proposal, recalling my earlier remark. They offered to "loan" me the startup capital, with the condition that I repay them and commit to the business for three years. At the tender age of 12, the allure of unlimited shave ice was too enticing to resist, so I eagerly agreed.

Since 1996, Craig's Shave Ice has been a fixture at various events and festivals across the Midwest. Over the years, we've evolved, experimenting with different flavors, ice shavers, and even branching out into the world of mini donuts. Yet amidst these changes, one thing remains constant: our unwavering commitment to delivering premium products at reasonable prices.