Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Drawe.
Kevin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have a huge sweet tooth and wanted to bring a new concept with a unique twist of desserts to Dallas! As a child, my fondest memory included summer trips to Taiwan with my family. While visiting, my family often frequented Taiwanese dessert shops, which were unique in design and products. Taiwanese snow ice was one of my favorites, along with specialty boba places. My extended family would join us for these outings and dessert was always associated with laughter and love. These childhood memories heavily influenced my decision to open Sno Tea. As an entrepreneur, I aim to create products that would make customers proud to set foot into my store. As a Taiwanese-American, I aim to create products reminiscent of the memories I cherish most.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all! Sno Tea is not a franchise, so I had to work through everything from the ground up. Finding a prime location was step one. From then I had to work with contractors on the layout and how I wanted the ambiance of the store to feel. With this being my first store, I had to choose everything from tables, chairs, lighting, and equipment. I wanted to achieve a contemporary modern storefront while maintaining a minimalistic aesthetic. In addition, functionality was a priority. A business can assume a beautiful facade, but if the day-to-day operation isn’t streamlined to support a growing business, my marble tables would mean nothing. This meant making sure placement of kitchen equipment, employee workstations, and product storage were feasible and accessible. You don’t understand how much detail goes into creating a space until you are the one deciding what soap dispenser to purchase!
After designing and creating a workable storefront and kitchen, my primary concern was developing unique products which catered to the clientele my West Plano store was located in. Once again, not being a franchise, it was my duty to create a menu of beverages, crepes, snow ice, and eventually waffle pops that would set me apart from other competitors in Dallas. My goal was to formulate recipes that would cater to the palettes of many, yet maintain some of the Taiwanese characteristics so engrained in my roots.
Please tell us about Sno Tea.
Sno Tea was established in 2017 and located in Plano, TX. We are a dessert store that offers a new concept of desserts you wouldn’t find anywhere else. We put a new spin on your traditional desserts that are only unique to us!
We offer snow ice which is not just shaved ice, but more like a shaved ice cream! We slice frozen blocks of ice into thin ribbon-like layers creating a delicious and aesthetically pleasing dessert. The snow-like texture is unique in appearance, softer, and creamier to taste than traditional shaved ice. Even with its rich taste, it contains less than 200 calories per serving!
Our bubble teas are made fresh every day. With over 40 different drinks on the menu, there is something for everyone!
Our Waffle pops are not your traditional waffles but they are waffles on a stick with different toppings! They are made to order, and always hot & fresh!
We also offer crepes that are made from scratch in-house with the freshest ingredients.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing! I am proud of how we have developed and improved since we started with the concept. From every flavor to the different creations of desserts we had come up with.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5930 W Park Blvd #1200, Plano, TX 75093
- Website: www.snotea.net
- Phone: (469) 726-2770
- Email: info@snotea.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snotea/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/snoteaplano/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sno-tea-plano
Image Credit:
Esther Huynh, Christopher Michael, Adam Bayacal, Tim Lee
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