Wichita’s adult shaved ice business is closing — at least for this summer
He was the first person to open a business in the Union Station canopies in downtown Wichita — and the first person to open a business in Wichita specializing in grownup shaved ice spiked with alcohol.
But J.D. Young has decided to close his Funky Monkeys Shaved Ice 21+, which has been a popular downtown draw over the past two summers. He’s hoping to reopen the business in a new location, he said, and he’s considering one pretty seriously.
But the soonest he could possibly reopen would be late summer, so it will likely be next year before he’s back, he said.
Young said he decided not reopen after a significant hike in his rent.
“And you can only really operate out of those for about six to seven months out of the year,” he said. “It’s kind of tough on a small business.”
Young still has the Funky Monkeys Shaved Ice booth at 2250 N. Woodlawn, in the corner of the Home Depot parking lot, and will reopen it soon — though it sells only non-alcoholic ice. He also is busy with his new raw cookie dough business, No Bake Cafe, which he opened at Clifton Square in December.
I’ll let you know if Young settles on a new spot for Funky Monkeys Shaved Ice 21+.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 5:01 AM.
.jpg)
Denise Neil
The Wichita Eagle