WORKING IN A SNOW CONE: `SNOW TO GO' IS COOL BUSINESS

Mary Gorham and Pat Durbin have a "cool" job.

"We work inside a snow cone," said Mary Gorham. "It's cool inside, and we provide a `cool' product."

The new business, housed in a giant replica of a snow cone, made its appearance on the Cape Girardeau scene two weeks ago. It is "Sno to Go," which prepares snow cones.

"Actually, our product is different from the regular snow cone," said Gorham. "We use shaved ice instead of crushed ice."

Gorham and Durbin, both of Cape Girardeau, operate the business for owner John Adams, of Kell, Ill.

"Business has been great since we opened," said Gorham. "We offer 19 flavors now, and hope to increase that to 25 in the near future."

Included in the list of flavors are such familiar names as bubble gum, pina colada, wine cooler, and tuti-fruitte.

That's in addition to the old favorites like grape, orange, cherry, cola, lemon-lime, pineapple, and raspberry.

"We're adding three new flavors in the near future," said Gorham. "Orders are in and we hope to have red hots, watermelon and cinnamon in by Monday or Tuesday."

The new business, located alongside William Street in Town Plaza Shopping area, is open seven days a week, at 9 a.m.

"We've been staying open from 8 to 10 p.m.," said Gorham. "If our traffic is light we close at 8 p.m. If it's heavy, we'll stay until 10 p.m."

Although the snow-cone business is primary a hot-weather one, there are no plans to close shop this winter.

"We're thinking of keeping it open on weekends throughout the year," said Gorham.