Name of business: Snow and Dough

Type of business: Shaved ice and edible cookie dough

Location: Turlock and surrounding towns; www.snowanddough.com

Hours: By appointment only

Contact information: Call or text 209-502-4315

Specialty: Expansive and unique menu of shaved ice flavors

History of business:

Most people with a sweet tooth love edible cookie dough and shaved ice, but what if they were both available at one convenient location? Thanks to one Turlock family, that fantasy is now a reality through their new mobile business Snow and Dough.

Billy Foley, his wife Marissa and their daughters, Madison and Lexi, were constantly traveling the country before the coronavirus pandemic hit as the two girls participated in beauty pageants. This gave them the chance to experience a variety of different treats in various states, but it was the edible cookie dough in Nashville and authentic shaved ice in Maui that left a lasting impression on the group.

After a year of ups and downs – and a novel virus that stopped the world — Snow and Dough opened up shop about a month ago, with the Foleys serving up soft cookie dough and refreshing shaved ice from a portable trailer.

“I saw the pandemic as an opportunity to get ahead and move forward,” Billy Foley said.

Snow and Dough travels throughout the 209, stopping to cater family get-togethers or pausing on street corners so that the neighborhood can grab one of the Foleys’ sweet options. Word of the by-appointment-only business spread quickly on social media, Billy said, and now he can hardly keep up with the constant phone calls and text messages.

“I’m absolutely blown away. I've never seen a business start this easily, and I’ve owned four or five,” Billy said. “People want to be home right now. They want to be safe and they want to know who it is who’s bringing the food to them.”

Chocolate chip and sugar cookie doughs are always on the menu, while specialty flavors are sprinkled in from week to week. Most recently, customers could also get their hands on a s’mores-flavored dough or another which featured M&Ms. As for shaved ice, there are over 50 flavors on the menu ranging from fruity, Hawaiian syrups to southern flavors straight from Louisiana which include dreamsicle, red velvet, Laffy Taffy and more.

While the new business will give the community a chance to experiment with their taste buds, Snow and Dough has also provided the Foley family with more opportunities to spend time together. It’s a true family affair, with mom and dad running the show, 10-year-old Madison taking money from customers and Lexi, age four, observing the operation while telling everyone “she’s the boss.”

“I’m teaching my girls how to run a business during a very scary time,” Billy said.

At the end of the day, the most important thing to Billy is a happy customer.

“Everyone keeps saying, ‘Hey, we want to make sure this stop is worth your while,’” he said. “We tell them that it’s worth our while if they smile.”