7 Ways to Make Money With a Frozen Drink Machine

Yesterday we looked at whether a frozen drink machine can make money. We considered some of the costs associated with owning a frozen drink machine and discovered that frozen drinks are not only tasty but are also profitable. Today we will give you some ideas on how you can put your frozen drink machine to work. Got ideas of your own?

Yesterday we looked at whether a frozen drink machine can make money. We considered some of the costs associated with owning a frozen drink machine and discovered that frozen drinks are not only tasty but are also profitable. Today we will give you some ideas on how you can put your frozen drink machine to work. Got ideas of your own? that is great, drop us a line in the comments. We would love to hear from you.

1) Fund raiser for school or charity:

Fund raisers, if done correctly, can be a lot of fun for all involved and accomplish the goal of raising money for your cause. Why not make a frozen drink machine a part of your fundraiser? If you do regular fundraising, or if you have another use for the machine when the fundraiser is over (such as in a school cafeteria) it might make a lot of sense to invest in your own machine. But if it is a one-time use there are a lot of companies that will rent out a machine, and who knows, they might even donate the use of the machine or give you a discount as part of a fund raising process for the school or charity. Tell them that you will add them to your list of sponsors and see what they will do. Sell for 2.00 dollars a drink and you end up with a low cost, high profit frozen drink offering for your charity or school. * Extra tip: find a local supplier of frozen drink mix and see if they will donate some to your cause. No local supplier? Find a place that sells slushies and see if they have any extra, sealed mix that they would be willing to donate.

2) Concession stand at fairs and local events

Fairs and festivals equal loads of summer fun. Hot days plus lots of people equals lots of demand for a refreshingly cool drink. why not look at adding a low maintenance, high output granita margarita machine and increase your concession stand profitability? With a two hopper model you can offer multiple flavors of drinks and not keep your parched customers waiting. At $3.50 - $4.00 a drink you have a low maintenance, highly profitable addition to your concession offerings.

3) Sporting events

What is more fun then heading out to a little league game and enjoying America's favorite pastime? Well since this blog is about frozen drinks I will give you one guess. Watching a little league game and enjoying a frozen drink sounds like a great option to me. AYSO games, flag football, etc, look into getting involved in the local community, where you have many parents, many kids, and regular games you have the ability to sell many drinks. * Extra Tip: Offer to donate a percentage of sales back to the organization and help them meet their goals while partnering with your customers that are already there for a common cause.

* Extra, Extra Tip: Make life easy and offer refreshing Gatorade drinks. Use either the powder packs and mix it yourself or just dump bottles of Gatorade into your machine. Pre-chill your mix/bottles in a cooler to speed up the freezing process. Hot day + lots of kids = high demand. Without pre-chilling your mix it will be hard to keep up!

4) Expanded drink offerings at your cafe or gas station

It is just one of those things that you expect to see at a gas station or roadside cafe. Hot car rides combined with long hours on the road create a need for a caffeinated cool treat. Look at adding a carbonated frozen drink offering to help refresh weary travelers. At $1.50 for a 32 oz drink your profitability is still pretty good.

5) Rent it out for special events such as weddings, graduations, and proms

Food equipment rental companies can greatly benefit from this great option. There is something inherently "cool" about walking into a celebration and seeing a frozen drink machine churning out tasty goodness. A quick google search shows people searching for frozen drink machine rentals, especially around graduation and prom season. The great thing is that you can rent out the machine for $150.00 (one hopper) or $200.00 (for a two hopper) and all you have to do is show them how to turn it on and fill it up. Low maintenance and low hassle. There are other considerations with a rental system that are unique such as correct use agreements, security deposits, insurance, training, etc. But overall these machines are easy to use and durable which makes this a great additional offering. * Extra Tip: provide them with easy access to frozen drink recipes and mixes and build a loyal customer base.

6) Caterers can expand their drink offerings

Snagging the best of both worlds, caterers can charge for the rental of the machine while still controlling its use and charging for the drinks themselves. Something fun and unique to offer at a wedding, combined with the option of alcoholic and non-alcoholic mixes, and you have much to offer and upsell. * Extra Tip: Find a good supplier and a wide variety of mixes to offer to your clients. Keep everything in house and keep it simple to increase profitability.

7) Find a banana stand, there is always money in a banana stand...

No worries if you don't understand that reference, the point is that nothing could be cooler than having a stand that is portable, easy to set up, and easy to maintain. In other words, a slushy stand. Whether it is a beachside cafe, or a roadside cart, the possibilities and locations are endless with the right setup. You of course will need to check your local zoning ordinances, obtain any required permits, and otherwise jump through a few hoops to get this set up, but once you have that all in place you can get to work making money anywhere you can fit your cart.

Convinced that a frozen drink machine might be for you? Then take some time to look over our most popular slushy machines and give us a call with any questions. Until next time...