Used Shaved Ice and Snow Cone Trucks for Sale by Owner

We can’t think of a better place to start for small-scale business owners with little resources but a burning desire to enter the mobile food industry than with a high-quality shaved ice truck, trailer, or cart for sale by the owner, snow cone truck for sale.

We have inventory spread out over the country, so you won’t have to deal with the trouble and lost time of going to a high-pressure dealer in order to find your ideal shaved ice concession truck.

To view our current listings for concession trailers, carts, or shaved ice/snowball trucks, use the links below.

Each listing includes pictures, equipment lists, the unit’s location, the asking price, and other crucial information.

You’ll find the proper inventory here, whether you’re looking for a blank canvas you can tailor to your needs or a readymade shave ice concession business or snow cone truck for sale.

Active Truck and Trailer Listings for Shaved Ice and Snowballs

To view fresh and updated listings, visit this page frequently. When doing business online, always exercise caution.

Never pay for an item you haven’t seen in person and never send money for equipment you haven’t seen through the wire, US Mail, or an online transfer.

Offering $50,000 for an outfitted food trailer and bus unit in Canton, Kansas
In Valrico, there is a shaved ice and ice cream food truck business opportunity (price: $79,000).
In Anderson, South Carolina, a concession trailer selling for $14,000 is available.

Snow Cone Trucks for Sale (Buyer’s Guide)

We at Food Truck Empire adore the concessions industry for shaved ice. In fact, we’ve written a whole guide specifically about this business strategy.

However, if you’re just getting started in your research into this lucrative area of the mobile food industry and are unsure of exactly what kind of equipment you need

we’ve put together a quick guide that can help you choose the type of shaved concession vehicle that best suits your vision for the business.

For a few straightforward reasons, the shaved ice concession industry draws a lot of new food service entrepreneurs. The first is that your initial costs, or “barrier to entry,” are extraordinarily cheap.

A block of ice, a device to transform it into mouthwatering snow, a few (dozen) bottles of cheap flavoring syrups

and a small amount of time and labor is all you actually need to get started offering your frozen goodies to the sweaty and sweltering crowds.

This area of the market is perfect for beginning food concessionaires due to the low initial inventory costs and the minimum equipment requirements.

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Snow Cone Trucks for Sale

The quantity of equipment you actually need is the first issue you must resolve. You might be surprised by how little you actually need to get started.

and if the business is successful, you can always switch to more powerful and opulent cars later on.

Since most shaved ice enterprises require little in the way of equipment, you probably don’t need to invest tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars on a fully functional food truck.

In most places, you’ll need this to pass a health inspection, so a typical tow-behind snowball trailer will have a hand-washing sink and related plumbing

room for big blocks of ice, a rack for flavor syrup bottles, and a device to turn those big blocks of ice into snow.

Most “outside” design carts also have an awning or pop-up umbrella as standard equipment to shade you and your clients from the sun

and to comply with any health department laws that could call for covering prep areas for food services from the weather.

Snow Cone Trucks for Sale (Shaved Ice and Snow Cone Trucks)

Most shaved ice-starting business owners can benefit from having a concession trailer or even a small cart, especially if you have off-site storage available.

Although they are often far less expensive than a large step van or food truck, trailers and carts may have some limitations on your potential for growth.

For instance, if your shaved ice business succeeds, would you want to start selling a variety of scooped or pre-packaged ice cream?

This would necessitate the use of an electrical infrastructure that is more advanced and built to accommodate the power demands of numerous freezers.

If your aspirations for your shaved ice cart include ultimately increasing and diversifying into other services, a larger investment in a vehicle with space for future expansion may make sense.

List of Required Equipment

We believe that certain “standard features” are necessary for a shaved ice truck, trailer, cart, or wagon. Search for listings that already have these details.

The external and internal illumination
With capacity for the extension as your equipment needs change, a power inverter system to handle electrical appliances such as onboard freezers or refrigeration, ice makers, and a pump for your water supply is needed.
Your handwashing sink will need some type of water supply, such as onboard tanks or storage or a link to an outside water source.
There is a ton of interior storage, such as tables and shelving, for disposables and bottles to exhibit flavor syrups.
Possibilities for branding and advertising, such as bespoke vinyl wraps and logos

Snow Cone Truck for Sale

If you’re interested in finding out more about running a mobile food business, go here to view our entire selection of snow cone trucks for sale.

In some municipalities, a shaved ice cart or truck may not require as much additional equipment as a traditional food service operation, such as a 3-bay sink.

But keep in mind that these conditions must be satisfied if you want to later expand to offer even basic food items.

To discuss your plans for your shaved ice cart or truck and to learn which of these extra systems could be required in your area, speak with your local health inspector.

Regarding Electrical Considerations

Given that there isn’t a lot of machinery that needs to be kept operating, power and fuel considerations for the majority of shaved ice concession trucks or trailers will be minor.

This shows that you may often forego challenging propane installations and high-load electrical installations but remember to plan for future development.

You might find that you quickly outgrow your electricity needs if you install an ice machine, a sizable refrigerator unit, or commercial-grade appliances, which could need an expensive replacement in the future.

You might be able to connect to an external power supply depending on where and how you intend to set up your truck, cart, or trailer

such as in some city parks or during sizable events like local fairs or concerts. To go along with your new concession unit,

you should probably get a generator, just in case an external power supply isn’t available.

We prefer the Onac Cummings and PowerTech 25–30 kW generator types for their mix of strength, affordability, and minimal running noise.

Of course, you may find that you need to buy a generator that can handle this type of high-load equipment.

If you intend to run an air conditioner inside the truck or trailer (which is essentially a need during the hot summer months).

How to Run a Shaved Ice Truck or Cart Successfully

Competition for this market niche can be severe, especially in hot areas, because a mobile shaved ice firm has very cheap overhead, exceptionally high profits, and low barriers to entry.

Even in a market currently packed by perhaps hundreds of enterprises that are comparable, there are a few different tested methods for making money in the shaved ice industry.

Here are some tactics to take into account

Special Events and Catering

The primary marketplaces for the majority of small-scale shaved ice concession companies are probably neighborhood festivals, food fairs, carnivals, and farmer’s markets.

Anywhere there are large crowds of people gathered outdoors in the sweltering summer heat could be a potential location for your shaved ice business.

Look for events that can accommodate many shaved ice operations or don’t currently have a shaved ice vendor.

Your ability to succeed or fail on these occasions depends on the caliber and distinctiveness of your products and the attractiveness and attention-grabbing features of your branding and equipment.

Take Notice of Your Surroundings

Potential customers will never test your stuff if they never notice your shaved ice stand. Few people leave the house in the morning.

“Finding a shaved ice truck” is very high on their list of priorities since most clients buy shaved ice rather “impulsively,

Customers need to run into you, ideally just as the heat and humidity are wearing them out.

Because of this, putting up shops in nearby parks or beaches or leveraging the success of other nearby businesses can be extremely beneficial.

Many shaved ice businesses discover they can draw the kind of casual, walk-by traffic that fuels this particular type of concessionaire by collaborating with other snow cone trucks for sale

Established businesses like zoos, movie theaters, food truck parks, home improvement store parking lots, or outdoor shopping plazas.

Other Considerations

Although we haven’t covered every aspect of starting your own shaved ice business, we do hope that this quick primer will help generate some fresh ideas

and provide you with a general understanding of how to assess a used shaved ice concession truck, cart, or trailer as well as how to operate one for the highest return on your investment.

Two more brief points to think about are as follows

Ask a buddy or a mentor you can rely on to help you with your inspection. Bear in mind that even shaved ice machines can malfunction, be mistreated, or be abused,

And that many of the issues with some of these pieces of machinery may go unreported to untrained eyes.

Make sure you have an opportunity to evaluate your new equipment before any money is exchanged, just as you would never buy a snow cone truck for sale car without giving it a test drive.

Additionally, this is the moment to identify any knowledge gaps you may have and get the help of a dependable mechanic or mentor.

Before you spend a cent on equipment purchases, talk freely with your town about your ideas to learn more about the specific laws or compliance standards in your area since every municipality is unique.

Conclusion

Shaved ice stands continue to draw in new business owners for two reasons, regardless of whether you want to operate from a food truck

tow-behind trailer, pushcart, or pop-up tents margins are staggering, and the startup costs are very low.

Used Shaved Ice and Snow Cone Trucks for Sale by Owner

Active Truck and Trailer Listings for Shaved Ice and Snowballs