Can you make money with a frozen drink machine?

So here you are, standing on the edge, ready to make the plunge and add slushies to your store. But with a quality slushy machine like a Bunn Ultra 2 running about $2k, you wonder whether you can really make that money back in your little shop. The answer is "Heck yes!" Join us as we break down the numbers and find out how you can easily score 200% in profit.

So here you are, standing on the edge, ready to make the plunge and add slushies to your store. But with a quality slushy machine like a Bunn Ultra 2 running about $2k, you wonder whether you can really make that money back in your little shop. The answer is "Heck yes!" Let's break down the numbers together.

Obviously, after your slushie maker, your biggest expense is slushie mix. While this can vary depending on your mix supplier, 2 cents per oz. is a good rule of thumb. Since your water use is negligible, that means your "ingredients" for a 20 oz. frozen drink cost you about $0.40. Throw on another dime or so to cover the cup, lid, and straw. Partly due to recent efficiency enhancements Bunn made to the Ultra 2 line, the energy used to churn out this delicious slush is nominal, averaging less than a $1 a day in electricity, which means only pennies for each drink. Add it all up and you are spending a smidge over $0.50 for a drink your thirsty customers will be happy to drop $1.00-$2.00 on! Let's say you price a 20 oz. slushy at $1.50 and shift a mere 20 every day for a year. That comes out to $7300 annual profit - a nice chunk of change to put in your "slush" fund, eh?

• Mix: less than 2 cents per ounce depending on type of mix
• Cup, Lid, and Straw: approximately 10 cents
• Water: almost nill (0.2 cents per gallon of water)
• Electricity: almost nill (approximately 76 cents a day)
• Total Cost: roughly $0.50 per 20 oz cup

You will of course have to check your rates for water and electricity costs in your area; with that in mind you can figure out what is reasonable to charge in your market situation. If you are strapped for ideas, check back tomorrow for 7 profitable ways of putting a frozen drink machine to use.

For more information on frozen drink machines (and some fun trivia) check out our slushy machine buying guide

Extra Tip: Follow the maintenance schedule and keep dust out of the condenser unit and you will enjoy a lasting relationship with your frozen drink machine. If you treat it well it will return the favor.