Modesto snack shack: Big dream starts tiny
Modesto snack shack: Big dream starts tiny
Think of it as a lemonade stand on steroids.
Brother-and-sister team Cedric and Alivia King opened the Snack Shack three weeks ago on their front lawn.
Since then, they've been selling drinks and goodies to students and passers-by from their little wooden concession stand at Gloria and Coffee roads, across from Downey High School in Modesto.
The stand with hand-drawn signs was 12-year-old Cedric's idea, something he came up with when he switched with his sister from charter to home school.
"When I was little, I was thinking of opening my own business," he said. "So with free time now, I could do it."
So he asked his dad, a contractor, to build a booth and recruited his 13-year-old sister to run it with him.
They Snack Shack is open from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The budding entrepreneurs sell coffee and hot chocolate before school, and sodas, energy drinks, chips, cookies and candy after school.
The pair's mom, Heather King, said they are getting a permit and registering with the city.
They buy their snacks in bulk at Costco and then sell them for 10 cents (for candy) to $2 (for energy drinks). Cedric says they've made about $50, but almost all of that has gone back into buying more snacks to sell.
"We haven't spent the money," Cedric said. "I'm trying to be able to buy new products, trying to save it up more. I want to make it bigger in the future."
His sister has a specific goal in mind for her share: A pet snake.
Alivia said she likes working at the Snack Shack. "I get to meet people, and I always tell my mom, 'I like working a lot.' " she said. "We're home schooled and usually doing schoolwork all day. This is more fun."
She said they have regulars and average about 20 customers each day.
Cedric and Alivia said they plan to stick with the shop and maybe expand it in the spring.
- Posted on October 27, 2009
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I think they are being successful because they have the time to sell stuff. Plus, they have a store to sell from. They can buy stuff cheaper from Costco. They have regular customers. They are old enough to make their own money.
It very surprising for a 12 year old that likes to work. Usual;y they dont like working and there parents dont like for them to work because they think they can be responsible enoughs . I think its great for them to have the place because they get to learn how to mack decisions and to learn that nothing is easy that u have to work for the thing you want. It going to tack some time for a small biasness to get big but it pretty good for them to see how much progress there is when you work hard to get thing how you want them.The idea they had was great because it a good place for them to meet new people and to learn hoe to socialize with different people. I think it very nice of there dad to let them have the place because and help him open it because it was what he wanted since he was small and now he has it witch mack me proud that there is people who have a dream and they go for it to mack the dream come true.I do think it can be fun to have there on place and get creative and sell thing for young adults and be able to mack a profit wile having responsibilities on there hand. 20 costumers is not that bad it good for then because at list they have costumers and they are making money not loosing it .
i think it is a cool idea to have a snack shack on your front lawn alot.Mostly I think it is a good idea because if you save the money it can go towards alot of things.Like college money,school supplies,field trip money,and a whole lot of other stuff also.I think it is nice of them to open a snack shack because what if highschoolers at downey high want a snack and a drink well they can go there and get something there instead of going to the store and stuff.The snack shack is a great place for the highschool students to go to and get snacks and drinks after school and hang out with there friends there also.So what if the kids go there instead of the store maybe the kids like the snack shack better.I have friends that go to downey and they have told me if i have went to the snack shack before and i said no.What i say is that it sounds pretty cool that they have a snack shack in the front of a house across from a highschool.Even though i am going to a different highschool and stuff it sounds cool to get the chance to hang out with our friends at a place with food and drinks without getting kicked out for being to loud and messing around too much at a store and stuff.Mostly i want to say thank you for doing a thing like that for the highschoolers.So i want to say it is a great idea also to have a snack shack.
I think that its a great idea. A lot of kids go to it. Kids go to it because its a nice place to hang out and the snacks are very cheap. That 12 year old came up with a great idea. A lot of people probably had that idea, but dont have the time or a place to start. Its surprising to me how that family made it work for them. It takes a lot of time because they have to be there most of the time after school. So it does affect school.
Ive always wanted to do something like that but never had a chance or someones help. I might just try again who knows. I think it would be fun.