What do you get when you combine a hot summer day with a two-hour line at Disney World? For Decatur brothers Kingston and Jackson Suttle, the answer was a mobile shaved ice business.
“We were in line at Disney World, kind of bored, to be honest,” said Jackson, 15. “We both wanted to make money.” The brothers considered more traditional teenage jobs, like lifeguarding, but wanted more flexibility. They brainstormed ideas and landed on shaved ice. It was a natural fit for Decatur, which has plenty of hot weather.
With a loan from their mother, Michelle Suttle, they purchased a machine to make the shaved ice and other supplies and launched Suttle Snow in 2025. Before their first event, Kingston, 16, researched pricing and created a spreadsheet to determine what they could charge. They settled on $3 per serving of shaved ice, which comes in 7 flavors. They also agreed that half of their earnings would repay their mother for her loan. The boys then divided the other half of their earnings equally.
After approximately 10 events, including Oakhurst Porchfest and an Emerging Artists event at Scout, the loan is paid off. “It’s all profit from here,” Jackson said.
The brothers’ roles in the business fit their personalities. Kingston, who is more introverted, operates the machine and manages the business’s Instagram account. Jackson enjoys taking orders and meeting customers. “It’s so much fun,” Jackson said. “There are a bunch of new people to meet.”
Suttle Snow also sells “snowballs” customers can throw at their friends. Michelle, an entrepreneur herself, wanted her sons to see entrepreneurship as a possibility early in life. Both boys have Dyslexia, and Michelle points out that it gives her sons extra doses of creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving skills.
“It’s cool to see them enjoy it,” she said. “When I step in, they say, ‘Mom, we’ve got this. "’Jackson’s advice for other young entrepreneurs is simple: “Just do it. If you just get up and do it, it usually works out.”
Connect with Suttle Snow on Instagram @suttlesnow to follow their work or book them for an event.