Q & A With Kelvin Slushies

Alex Rein has always secretly loved slushies, but the former lawyer thought the 7-11-style drink wasn't quite sophisticated enough to bring back to the office.  "It's hard to be taken seriously as an adult if you are walking down the street and drinking a bright blue slushie," he explains.  So Rein left law and started Kelvin Natural Slush Co., a Manhattan-based truck that sells gourmet versions of his favorite frozen snack.  His slushies incorporate real fruit purees and let customers mix-and-match to create unique concoctions, like blood orange with ginger and white peach with tea.

Rein didn’t have much experience in the food business, but that didn't stop him from experimenting with new flavors and a one-of-a-kind business.  Not only is selling real fruit slushees, but he's also taken to the roads to do it.  When he’s not working or slurping a Spicy Ginger slush with raspberry puree, he’s grabbing ice cream from his other favorite food truck – Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.

Single/Married/Divorced?
Single, but seeing someone.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was younger, I wanted to work for the New York Giants.  I still think that would be pretty cool. This actually wasn’t the direction I saw my career going in.  I started out as a lawyer and did that for a few years.

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?

I lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a year after college and I worked in Nick Wilson’s Cowboy Café bussing and prepping tables. I learned the restaurant business involves a lot of time on your feet.

From where did you buy your slushies growing up?
I grew up drinking slushies, primarily from gas station convenience stores. In college there was a 7-11 right behind the house I lived in where we would go to on a fairly regular basis for Slurpies.  

What gave you the idea to turn slushies into a gourmet dessert by using real fruit?
It seems like a lot of food and dining projects are going in this direction.  I really liked the idea of a more grown-up version of a slushie because at 30 years old, although I can still enjoy a 7-11 Slurpie, it’s just a bit too sweet, and the flavors are limited.  Also, it's hard to be taken seriously as an adult if you are walking down the street and drinking a bright blue slushie.

Why did you decide to operate your slushie business out of a truck, rather than out of a storefront?
Initially, I thought about it as a storefront. I didn’t have a tremendous amount of experience in the business and I wasn’t sure if everyone would share my enthusiasm for a grown-up version, so a truck was a good way to test out my business idea.  Plus, trucks are fun and they give the business more flexibility.  We can test out different areas of the city to see how we sell in different places

You let patrons customize their own Kelvin slushie, but what’s your personal favorite slushie combination?

I like to combine the Spicy Ginger slush with raspberry puree.

Other than your own, what’s your favorite food truck in New York City?
You know, I’m partial to ice cream, so I like the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck.

Why do you think food trucks have become such a city-wide phenomenon?

I think that they offer a great variety of meals or desserts, and a lot of the trucks have very good quality food, and people are starting to realize that. They’re also very convenient, making it quick and easy to get something to eat which is good for people in Manhattan who are always running around.

What’s a typical day like at Kelvin Natural Slush?

We get out to the commissary early in order to start prepping the truck for the day which takes about an hour.  We then head into Manhattan, update the Facebook and Twitter pages and our “Slush Phone” hotline with our location and open for business.  We are still trying to figure out the good spots to sell, so we usually move once during the day.  After we close up for the day, we drive back out to the commissary, clean the truck, head home and get ready to do it all again the next day.

Can you describe the importance of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook for your business?

They’re both very important. We’re trying to build a good following with these sites and we use them to notify customers and fans where we’re going to be and special promotions we are offering. We want to engage our audience and get immediate feedback on what we are doing. Twitter and Facebook are great from a business point of view.

What’s the best part about owning a food truck? Do you have a least favorite aspect of the operation?

The best part about owning a food truck is the freedom to try out different things, whether it is a new mix-in item or a special promotion, and be able to see how customers respond. Not having much prior experience in this area I’m doing a lot of learning on the fly, and am enjoying figuring out what works and what doesn’t as we go along.  I would have to say that the worst part is navigating the truck through Manhattan traffic.

Other than slushies, what’s your favorite type of frozen treats and where in New York City do you go to get it?

I live down on 13^th Street, so I go to Sundaes and Cones. All their ice cream is really great, but my favorite kind is their mint chocolate chip.

Any plans for new menu items or a second truck yet?

Ideally, we’d like to expand, either with more trucks, a storefront or any combination. It depends on the demand, but we’d definitely look into expanding. 

www.kelvinslush.com