Ice Monster: Success based on creativity and innovation

Nothing beats the simple yet ingenious mixture of shaved ice, milk and sweet toppings in satisfying the Filipinos’ craving for cold desserts. To most Pinoys, a long hot day would not be complete without a tall tumbler of halo-halo, mais-con-hielo or saba-con-hielo.

That’s why it’s no surprise that Ice Monster became an instant hit when it opened its first shop three years ago. "We believe that Ice Monster hit the Filipino taste instantly because it’s similar to what halo-halo is all about," says Gerard Lim, owner of Ice Monster.

The Ice Monster "fever" spread like wild fire and, amazingly, mostly just through word of mouth. Ice Monster has more than 50 branches nationwide, with outlets in Cebu, Bacolod and even Boracay.

It’s in the ice

But make no mistake about it; Ice Monster is not your grandma’s traditional merienda or panghimagas. For one, Ice Monster uses an ice shaving machine that produces finely shaved ice. "We use only thinly shaved ice without any coarseness and texture, only that smooth melt-in-the mouth feel," says Gerard. It is this kind of ice that sets Ice Monster apart from other ice dessert outlets.

What Ice Monster is really known for is their assortment of flavors which ranges from the familiar to the exotic, from the healthy to the sinful. Strawberry, mango, banana, taro and red bean, brownie fudge, kiwi, cookies and cream are just some of Ice Monster’s bestsellers. Ice Monster currently has more than 20 different flavors and they try to come up with new ones every quarter. In fact, there is a part in their website where customers can suggest the flavors they want to see in the Ice Monster menu.

Business success

The success of Ice Monster proves that success in the food industry requires creativity and innovation. These are exactly the two qualities exhibited by 3B Monkey Business, the grand prize winner of the recently concluded Seasoned for Success: Search for Top Campus Entrepreneurs of Nestlé FoodServices. The competition is part of Nestlé FoodServices’ commitment to champion entrepreneurship in the food industry. It aims to encourage business-minded students by providing them an opportunity to realize their potential and fulfill their dreams.

Composed of UP Diliman students Kris Anne Magnolia Flora, Candice Nika Indunan and Robilyn Parani, 3B Monkey Business presented business idea that explored the different uses of bananas in different snack food items. The group even came up with a burger made from banana which they called "Burger Matsing."

3B Monkey Business was a hit during the three-day culminating activity of Seasoned for Success held at the Activity Center of Market! Market! in Taguig. During the three-day affair, the finalists set up food kiosks in the venue and tested their business ideas in a real-life selling environment. As the grand prize winners, 3B Monkey Business received P50,000, a trophy, free DTI and SEC registration of the business and three fully-furnished carts worth P20,000 each.

With their creativity and the innovativeness of their ideas, 3B Monkey Business is on the right track to becoming a business success just like Ice Monster.