Yearning for the simplicity of a bygone era? Well yearn no more with a visit to the state’s number one nostalgic summer treat stand: Pelican’s Snoballs in South Carolina. And when we say IN South Carolina, we mean all over South Carolina.
To understand the magic of a Pelican's Snoball one has only to take a first bite.
Snoballs are an entirely evolved version of the old snow cones, which had crunchy ice and were so porous the flavors seem to practically wash right through to the very bottom of the cone-shaped paper cup in which they were served.
Snoballs, on the other hand, are fluffy and come served in cups. And at Pelican's Snoballs, there are 100 flavors to choose from in four different sizes.
But the Snoballs at Pelican's aren't the only fascinating thing about Pelican's.
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How the chain got its start is inspirational on so many levels. It was started in 2001 by a 13-year-old girl in Louisiana, who opened the very first Pelican's ever. She then worked her Pelican's Snoball stand, attending to customers, keeping the books, ordering supplies, and more... all the way until she left for college to become a veterinarian. In those days, she would sometimes employ her younger brothers to help out.
Upon leaving for college, her father quit his full-time job to take over the day-to-day operations for Pelican's and he ran the business until 2017. Along the way, folks began inquiring about franchises. When she sold the business in 2017 to two franchisee owners, Pelican's had grown to 80 locations.
Today, the two franchisees that purchased the chain have grown the business to 200 locations in 17 states. And a whopping 48 of those locations are right here in South Carolina! What can we say? We love our Pelican's, don't we??
Over time, the menu has expanded to include shots of cream that can be added to any Snoball flavor. In addition, Pelican's never uses products with high-fructose corn syrup and offers gluten-free options as well as sugar-free flavors.