What is cold, tasty and comes in 30+ flavors? You already know if you have tasted Sunset Slush Classic Italian Ice at the Habersham Marketplace, or downtown Beaufort in the park. That’s right! Sunset Slush Classic Italian Ice opened in Beaufort on June 12th at 8A-1 Market Street.
The owners, Julie and Howard Hook, have vacationed in Beaufort for the past 20 years and vowed to retire here. They moved to the area on March 4th and opened their shop in June. Hailing from Elkhart, IN, where they have lived for the past 30 years, they opted for a warmer climate. Knowing that Howard could not sit by and do nothing after his retirement from the hectic automotive industry where he was a Senior Quality Engineer, they began looking for something to do. When Julie retired from teaching English for 30 years, she began hoping for grandchildren to help make retirement more fun.
When she visited her first granddaughter in Raleigh, NC, back in 2012 for little Clara’s 2nd birthday, her daughter-in-law asked if she wanted to go get a “slushie,” to which Julie replied, “What’s that?” Wow! Was she ever in for a surprise?! Never having had classic Italian ice, Julie was delighted to get a taste of the fabulous flavors awaiting her at Sunset Slush of Raleigh. After some research and a couple of visits with the owners in Ocean Isle Beach, she and Howard set off for the adventure of a lifetime. Howard’s dream of owning his own business soon became a reality, and Julie’s doctors were happy to know she had given up ice cream in favor of a healthier treat with only 13grams of sugar per scoop, no fat, no gluten and no cream. Sunset Slush of Beaufort was born when their son and daughter-in-law, along with his brother, Doug and his new wife, Brenda, decided to invest to make it all a reality.
Julie says, “We are thrilled to be in Beaufort permanently, and couldn’t be happier to know that our chances of seeing snow anytime soon are zero to none! Thirty years of frigid weather in Northern Indiana took a toll on my arthritic knees.”
Stop by and say hello to Julie and Howard or one of their employees and try the flavor of your choice to see if you like it before deciding which to purchase. Sunset Slush is a member of the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, and they have a unique take on tipping. When their workers serve from the cart in the park, they are welcome to all tips collected; however, in their shop a different charity is the recipient of all tips for each month, They collected over $170.00 in June for the American Heart Association, over $282.00 for the American Cancer Society in July, and are well on their way to beating that amount in August for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Call them for information regarding serving their Italian ice at your birthday party, wedding, sports event, or employee appreciation recognition. Their hours are noon to 9 PM daily for the season. Stop by or call 843-644-1115 for more information. You may also contact them at sunsetslushbeaufort@yahoo.com, or check out their website at: www.sunsetslushbeaufort.com, or follow them on Facebook at Sunset Slush of Beaufort.
