Stickalicious Pops: Keeping You Cool at the CWS
Stickalicious Pops: Keeping You Cool at the CWS
By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager
Are you planning on taking in some College World Series action this week? With temperatures projected into the 90s, you’d better have a plan on keeping cool as well.
A Basil Lime or Simply Strawberry popsicle from Stickalicious Pops is a step in the right direction. The year-old business, owned by Jenna and David King of Missouri Valley, Iowa, will have a stand at the Omaha Baseball Village, 501 N. 13th Street, during the CWS, June 16-29. The couple splits duties with Jenna handling the sales and kitchen, while David, a 2015 Bellevue University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain and Logistics Management, handles inventory, purchasing, and event set-up.
Stickalicious Pops aren’t just any old popsicle though. The treats are made with local produce whenever possible including strawberries, apples, melons, and basil (other ingredients such as grapefruit, pineapple, and coconut aren’t grown locally).
“Right now, we don’t have a supply chain, in the sense that two links don’t make a chain,” said David, who also works as a Customer Account Specialist at Airlite Plastics, in their Fox Blocks division. “We work with farms to get local produce whenever possible. We research and negotiate with vendors to get the best prices. As Stickalicious Pops grows, this will develop into a more traditional supply chain, one that is more in line with my course work from Bellevue University.”
That growth is coming fast.
“We had a plan for slow sustainable growth. Now that we have been presented with so many amazing opportunities, we try to keep up,” David said. “We have dipped our toes into the entrepreneurial waters before, and it seemed cold and impossible. I guess when you find a good fit, you know. It also helps that Jenna and I are further along in our career development and better prepared to ride the wave rather than get off the beach.”
The Kings moved from New Jersey to the Midwest eight years ago in search of greener pastures.
“Simply put, jobs. More broadly, the dream of higher education, careers over jobs, home ownership, and business ownership seemed entirely impossible in a state with such a high cost of living,” David said. “Nebraska has been a great place to grow, and live the good life! About a year and a half ago, Jenna and I bought a home in Iowa, and Stickalicious is based there. Iowa has been phenomenal in helping with starting and building a small business.”
David brought an Associate’s degree in Secondary Education from Cumberland County Community College in Vineland, New Jersey with him and Bellevue University’s credit transfer policy made for an easy transition.
“The credit transfer process is the reason I attended Bellevue University,” David said. “There are many things that attracted me to Bellevue. I loved the convenience of online classes, but I wanted a physical university as well. Bellevue offers the best of both. The Kirkpatrick Series is life changing. I, of course, did not know that going into it, but I loved the concept. I knew that the University shared several of my core values. I also was impressed by the real world education concept. Classes teach more than a theory, they teach application. But credit transfer is why this was all possible. I was able to choose Bellevue University over less costly options because I had my AA, so I was halfway to my Bachelor’s degree.”
David cited a Business Finance class with Adjunct Professor Jane McGee as one of the highlights of his academic career.
“It was very fun and informative to deep dive into a company’s financial data and draw conclusions, predictions, and comparisons from what we found,” he said. “A very helpful class in learning how healthy businesses operate.”
Stickalicious Pops landed their prime CWS spot when organizers at the Omaha Baseball Village noticed David and Jenna’s charitable contributions.
“The organizers had an opening for a nondairy dessert and contacted us. They were impressed that we donate tips to Fit Girl Inc., a nonprofit that helps girls aged 9 to 14 learn to build healthy relationships, love themselves, and live a healthy lifestyle,” Jenna said. “The event is partnered with Camp Quality, a camp for children battling cancer and their siblings. We are proud to be participating in supporting them as well.”
So what to try at the stand? David favors Ditmar’s Mulled Apple Cider, a sweet and tangy pop made with Ditmar’s Apple Cider mulled with cinnamon.
“I could eat that year round, but sales on that trend toward the late summer and fall,” David said.
Jenna recommends Mango Madness.
“Mango Madness stands out because it is so fresh. Even as we make batch after batch of them for the CWS, the smell of fresh mango never gets old,” she said. “The other one that stands out is our Cookies and Dream pop. It is made with cookies from The Country Oven, a small partner bakery in Blair, NE that makes fabulous cookies and brownies.”
Sounds like you can’t go wrong. So stay cool and play ball!