Bahama Buck’s is an American dessert chain known best for serving the Greatest Sno on Earth! ® Founded in the summer of 1990, the first Bahama Buck’s was opened in Lubbock, TX by Blake Buchanan, as a college student looking for a summer job. From this humble beginning, Bahama Buck’s now operates over 100 locations from California to Puerto Rico, with an additional 120 locations currently under development. The company’s vision is simple, “To Bless Our Guest by creating the Ultimate Tropical Dessert Experience.” That means exceeding guests’ expectations by paying attention to every detail of the delivery of its products and services.
Serving Island Experience
The primary focus of Bahama Buck’s is to serve its guests an island experience. From irresistibly delicious Sno® creations to extremely satisfying Island Smoothies, they constantly strive to serve up the ultimate tropical dessert experience. The company asserts that its expertise in innovating island indulgences didn’t surface overnight. The history of Bahama Buck’s is full of inspiration, fun, and creativity. The principles behind Bahama Buck’s guide their commitment to creating a minivacation for all; they strive to offer a positive vibe of the Bahama Buck’s attitude, style, and appreciation of life into every aspect of the guest experience.
The Ultimate Host
Blake Buchanan is the Founder and CEO of Bahama Buck’s. His core conviction is his belief in regards to “Blessing Our Guests”, not solely in the shops, but also through reaching out into the communities they serve. Blake’s personal favorite community outreach event is Bahama Buck’s Free Sno Day. The second Tuesday of every December, any guest can visit the shops and receive a Free Sno, no strings attached, which is just a gift to the communities Bahama Buck’s serves. It’s an absolute blast and a true blessing to many families during the holidays.
The Snow Cone Reincarnation
According to Bahama Buck’s, the single greatest challenge was overcoming the negative stigma associated with the snow cone industry. In the early nineties, while snow cones were seen as fun, they were also viewed as a cheap product: crunchy and flavorless. Decades of poorly operated snow cone stands had earned the industry an unfavorable reputation for dirty facilities, with skimpy products, and more often than not, operated by grumpy owners. In short, the industry was not expanding with the expectations of the consumer. It had become stale and stagnant. Bahama Buck’s, armed with youth and energy, began reshaping the perception of the snow cone industry. First, it began with building(s). While the original Bahama Buck’s was a mere 240 square feet, it was the largest Sno shack of its time. It set a new standard by meeting all city codes and requirements for a permanent building structure. Additionally, it was light, bright, and clean, setting new operational standards and expectations- -something completely new to the industry.
Third, Bahama Buck’s product is incomparably different. It isn’t a snow cone, it is shaved ice—shaved ribbons of soft, fluffy Sno generously showered with one or more of its gourmet flavors. This was the real deal. Flavors were, maybe for the first time in the industry, true to life and accurate. No skimping and extra flavor is always free. From day one, every Sno has received the signature paper umbrella, a reminder to “Flavor Your Life.” Finally, the snow cone industry needed a new brand standard. Bahama Buck’s needed a brand that would safely guide the industry to a new standard of excellence in construction, product quality, people development, and guest loyalty. Hence, it worked relentlessly to become the brand standard of the Sno industry. Bahama Buck’s believes that, even though it has revolutionized the industry, it still has miles to go in order to fully accomplish its ultimate goal. The company is working hard to change the negative reputation of the snow cone industry. Even though it’s been the biggest challenge for the company, it has been equally rewarding, too.
Core Competencies
The core strength of Bahama Buck’s comes from irresistible flavor creations. It considers flavor to be an art form and it searches the world to gather the most exotic premium flavors and ingredients to produce its gourmet Sno flavors. Custom-crafted for every guest, Bahama Buck’s Avalanche Crew (staff) personally tailors each Sno creation into an authentic flavor adventure, topped with an umbrella and a smile.
The Avalanche Crew are highly valued at Bahama Buck’s. Not only do they receive excellent training and mentoring for both job and life skill development, many are nominated to attend Bahama Buck’s University (BBU). If selected for BBU, they receive additional training in leadership, management, and marketing, all while on-site at Bahama Buck’s HQ. Upon graduation, they receive a Bachelor of Sno Science and can go on to become certified Corporate Trainers. Developing their leadership skills makes them eligible for higher pay, better positions, and allows them to travel to and train at other Bahama Buck’s shops. It also equips them with skills for a better future.
Future Endeavors
Bahama Buck’s has plans to open a shop in every city throughout all fifty states. The company is no stranger to calculated, measured growth and plans it that way, strategically. Since the inception of Bahama Buck’s in 1990, the franchise has grown to 100+ stores strong. It hopes to gain another 100 locations by 2022. The company encourages a strong stewardship strategy in each department and defines new standards for revenue and efficiency every ninety days. It wishes to grow and profit together with its franchise family, its corporate team, and its vendors at Bahama Buck’s Franchise Corporation.
URL: bahamabucks.com
Source: The 10 Best Return of investment franchise, 2018
Bahama Buck
