What is Driving Kona Ice’s Success?
Podcast Episode #37 · 41 min
September 22, 2026
Welcome to Founderology – Built to Breakthrough, the ultimate podcast created by Founders, for Founders. Founderology is your go-to resource for actionable insights and proven strategies to propel your business and yourself to new levels of success.
Hosted by Kathleen Wood
Guest Tony LambCEO and Founder of Kona Ice
What is Driving Kona Ice’s Success?
Tony Lamb is the Founder and visionary behind Kona Ice, the tropical shaved-ice brand that turned an ice cream truck nightmare into experiences that customers of all ages love. The results say it all: the largest food truck business in the United States, with 2,200 franchises across all 50 states and over $350 million in sales.
It started with the worst ice cream truck experience a parent could imagine: broken down, smoke billowing, and Tony Lamb’s 3-year-old daughter still running toward it. Where everyone else saw a truck to avoid, Tony saw an American icon waiting to be rebuilt. How does a Founder turn a moment most parents would rather forget into the largest food truck business in America?
Inside this episode, hear Tony speak about his most critical decisions:
- The $3,000 franchise royalty he has NEVER raised, even after nearly two decades of hearing exactly what that choice was costing him.
- How his “side hustle” to teach his children business lessons resulted in Kona Ice’s success, with Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee and Beverly Ann’s Cookies rolling right behind it.
- The week every event in America shut down in 2020 and 95% of his business disappeared. What Tony did next is a masterclass in leadership.
Tony shares so many practical decision points and leadership lessons that Founders are dealing with or can easily relate to in their own businesses. One of the key focuses for Kona is simplicity, and when the moment came to pour money into more technology that could threaten that simplicity, Tony held a conviction most Founders will recognize.
Find out what moved Tony to invest millions anyway, and what it unlocked. This is a turning point you have to hear. If you are holding a hard line on any topic in your own business right now, this is the decision inflection point to hear firsthand.
Stuck is a zone, not a destination
You know the zone. The business is working, the growth is real, and still the next move refuses to show itself. No Founder gets out of it by waiting.
Tony Lamb has been moving out of this zone for nearly two decades, from one truck to all 50 states and three brands. Press play and hear how Tony built Kona Ice … one fearless Founder decision at a time.
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