Frozen Drinks On The Go: Ashley & Branden Watson

Photos by Emma Highfill, Rose Wheat Photography

Nothing says party quite like a delicious frozen drink. However, those icy beverages can be a real hassle to make. If only someone would just show up with a machine that would make them for you... Voila! That’s where Frozen Drinks on the Go saves the day.

Ashley and Branden Watson took over the frozen drink company in October when it just kind of fell into their laps. A good friend had owned the business for eight years, sold it, then got it back, but was too busy to run it. So, the Watsons decided to take it on.

“We've been wanting to do something for quite a while. I never really understood what I wanted to do. But oddly enough, a slushy business is the perfect starting point for us,” Branden said.

The Frozen Drinks on the Go machine takes a liquid and spins it, eventually turning it into a slushie. They have eight standard flavors, but customers can put anything into the machine as long as there’s sugar in it.

“Customers have tried everything from Dr Pepper to coffee and apple cider,” Branden said.

Peach Bellini is “by far” the best seller, but Branden says the lime margarita is also really popular. The Watsons don’t actually make the drinks; they buy the mixes from Texas.

While people can rent frozen drink machines from other companies, they have to go pick them up and return them once the event is over. Frozen Drinks on the Go delivers the machines, sets them up, explains how to use them and then picks them up later, taking the hassle out of the experience.

“We bring the convenience to you,” Branden said. “All you have to do is drink them.”

The model of delivering and picking it back up brings a lot of value, especially for weddings.

“For brides and grooms, it’s crazy enough without having to run around and get a machine and learn how it works, and then take it back the next day,” Ashley said.

Surprisingly, the biggest challenge the Watsons have faced so far isn’t COVID. It is the late night events where someone has to go pick up the machine.

The Watsons rely mostly on word of mouth advertising and Facebook to market the business. They also have an agreement to provide drink mixes for a drink machine owned by Axe and Ale.

This arrangement allows prospective customers to try different drink flavors before renting a machine from Frozen Drinks on the Go.

They also offer giveaways and hope to build the fundraising side of the business as a way to support the community. They have been involved in The Villages, Junior League of Topeka, and serve on the Citizen Review Board for CASA.

“We’re fortunate to have a business that can give back, so why shouldn’t we?” Ashley said.

Branden says he hopes to eventually grow the business into a full- time career. He wouldn't be able to do this without his friend, Brian Nitcher, the former owner of Frozen Drinks on the Go.

“His willingness to help us by answering any and all of our questions, walking us through machine repair,
and introducing us to all of his clients he passed on to us was more than we could have ever asked for as new business owners,” Branden said. “We were able to hit the ground running and that will play a part in everything we do moving forward.”