Meet Jessica Slade and Skiba of Frios East Valley in East Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Slade.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hi there! I make up half of Team Jessica. I guess you could say that Team Jessica began when I heard the Frios Gourmet Pops franchise was open to expanding westward. Like many people in the Phoenix area, I’m a transplant. I’m originally from Alabama, the home state of Frios. I thought selling popsicles in our warm Arizona climate was likely a good idea. It would be difficult to fail at it, and I wasn’t looking to fail. Also, I knew there was nothing in Arizona remotely like these delicious gourmet ice pops, especially with the Vegan and non-gluten variety Frios had to offer. Plus, the closest Frios was and still is in Texas.

I knew the perfect business partner would be my good friend, who lived down the street, Jessica Skiba. Skiba and I complement each other well. Skiba is strong, the running and working out type, while I have no stamina. I enjoy writing, while Skiba is better at Math. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I basically see the two of us as an allegory for the whole human population – our differences make us stronger! We are a better team when we pool our resources.

Team Jessica formed in November of 2017 after Skiba had her first taste of Frios and was blown away by the quality of the product! She loved that the flavors are seasonal; we even have King Cake for Mardi Gras! The purity of Frios was persuasive. She knew that fresh and organic ingredients would be of utmost importance in the food industry.

Once we were officially Team Jessica, we partnered with local schools for fundraising events, and things blossomed from there. We wanted a food truck, but not just any food truck. I had seen horse trailers converted into food trucks in Europe, and I loved the idea of recycling and having something unique, as well as something that touched on Arizona history. My husband found just the candidate, an antique Trailer King, and he restored it. Before long it became the Frios Mobile Store, and you could find it at all of the PHX Rising Games. Early this year, we added two carts to our repertoire and then jumped at the chance to use them at Sloan Park for the 2019 Chicago Cubs Spring Training.

Somewhere between the trailer and the carts, we found the perfect store location in the East Valley, near the Phoenix-Mesa Airport, where much growth is set to occur over the next five years. We got to design our space from the floor up, and we enjoyed every aspect of it. We had our Grand Opening on 12/1/18. We love the neighborhoods around our corner of Mountain and Warner. Our customers have been so encouraging and hospitable! Each day when Skiba and I get to watch a patron take that first bite of a Frios, and see the elation it brings to their face, it confirms to us that we made a good choice. We are exactly where we should be, and we are lucky enough to have the happiest jobs in the world!

Has it been a smooth road?
There are struggles from time to time. There are times when we want to do lots of projects but just can’t complete everything because we don’t have the funds or the manpower. We definitely have to prioritize.

There are times when we plan to make money from certain events, but then they are a wash; however, we usually meet fun food vendors or manage to do some other networking whether we make money or not.

It was difficult to be patient when we were waiting on our buildout to be finished. Our houses were overflowing with Frios stuff! Besides that, “popsicle season” only lasts so long. Then, it gets cold, and popsicles don’t sell. So, we were on a strict timeline as far as that was concerned, and it was out of our control.

Definitely, the most difficult issues have been with shipping. Our product comes in from Alabama. For one reason or another, the shipper has not been reliable. When your shipper loses thousands of popsicles, that’s a big deal. It can close down your store and that doesn’t begin to describe what it can do to the events you have booked. So, we are getting around that issue by making sure we have at least a two week’s worth of storage on hand. We are learning and adapting.

But for the most part, we can’t complain. The road’s been mostly smooth, with just the occasional bump. I think it has to do with our outlook. When things go wrong, we don’t let it rattle us. We go into problem-solving mode and try not to dwell on the situation.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
At Frios East Valley, we specialize in uniquely flavored popsicles, made with the finest ingredients. We have so many flavors to choose from, and we are always adding to the list! We have seasonal flavors, like Gingerbread Cookie and Hot Chocolate for the holidays, and Red Velvet for Valentine’s. We even have Wedding Cake Frios Pops!

Our Pops fall into two categories, Creamy and Fruity. Our Creamy Pops are made with Fresh Fruit, Organic Cane Sugar, and Organic Dairy. We have traditional Ice Cream flavors like Cookies and Cream, but we also have more adventurous flavors like Fruity Pebbles. We’ve got things in between like Blueberry Cheesecake, Lemon Icebox Pie, and Tiramisu.

Our Fruity Pops are made with fresh fruit and Organic Cane Sugar; yep, that’s it! You can pair one of our “Fruities” with a Prosecco, Cava, or Champagne for a delicious “Poptail.” For the younger crowd, the “Fruities” go well with Ginger Ale, 7UP, or Sprite. We even have a Poptail recipe book coming out soon!

We have the most delectable fruity flavors! Strawberry Mango is our top seller. We have traditional flavors like Strawberry, and we have more adventurous flavors like Avocado Lime and Strawberry Mojito! Those last two are Team Jessica favorites, although Blueberry Lemonade is right up there at the top of our list too! In the Summer, we have Watermelon, Peach, and Peaches and Cream. Flavors are seasonal because we use fresh fruits.

We have a beautiful, vintage horse trailer for weddings and parties. Our store, at Warner and Mountain in Mesa, is also available for birthday parties, client appreciation events, etc. We love partnering with other businesses. We can even make personalized Frios Gift Cards!

Another thing that is special about us is that we are the only Frios franchise out west. The closest one to us in Lubbock, TX. Frios is a smaller franchise, with over 30 stores now, but when you consider that the first Frios store opened only four years ago in Gadsden, AL, that is impressive growth!

Lately, our franchise, in particular, has specialized in professional sports! We had two carts at the Cubs 2019 Spring Training. We’ve had our food trailer at the PHX Rising games this year as well as last year. Working the games is so much fun! We thrive on customer interaction, especially feedback.

We are most proud of our store and the part it plays in our community. We love seeing parents teach their children how to play Chess or Dominoes at our tables, or kids riding their bikes up to get a pop and play Cornhole on the patio out front. We love taking our trailer out to the school festivals in our neighborhood. We see our job as a blessing; we say all the time that peddling popsicles is a “happy job.”

Do you feel luck has played a role in your life?
I think I was lucky to end up moving down the street from Skiba, and that we are lucky that our daughters were best friends for all of those years. That’s how I came to be her friend. And so I knew she was the right business partner.

Besides that, I chalk it up to hard work. Don’t get me wrong; I do feel fortunate about running into certain restaurant owners or other business owners that have placed large wholesale orders. But mostly, we ran into them because we were working hard at events and because I never meet a stranger either. Actually, Skiba and I are both very friendly people. Being really loud doesn’t hurt either. I’m the least shy person you’ll ever meet.

Pricing:

• Frios Trio 3 for $11, Pop of the Week $3, Regular Price $4
• Wholesale, Large Order, Event Partner, Veteran, and First Responder Discounts

Contact Info:

• Address: Frios Mesa Store
  4425 S Mountain Rd Ste 102
  Mesa, AZ 85212
• Website: www.friospops.com
• Phone: 480-350-7852
• Email: eastvalley@friospops.com
• Instagram: @frioseastvalley
• Facebook: @frioseastvalley

Image Credit:
@marianneovertonphotos

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