A Maine couple will bring flavors from Hawaii, where they lived for two years, to a new food truck serving shave ice in Bangor this summer.
Sawyer’s Shave Ice will launch Sunday. Co-owners Andrew and Julianne Sawyer will operate the food truck from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Judson Heights Center on Broadway, near Tractor Supply.
While the Sawyers grew up in Bangor and met in high school, they moved to San Francisco after college and later to Maui. The COVID-19 pandemic gave them the job flexibility to move to the island, where they lived from 2020 to 2022 and their favorite treat became shave ice, Hawaii’s iconic, delectable treat.
The business gives Bangor-area residents and visitors a new option for dessert.
“We wanted to bring it to Bangor because there’s nothing like it here,” Julianne Sawyer said.
Before visiting Hawaii — which she and her husband had done twice before moving there, including for their honeymoon in 2019 — the closest thing to shave ice she had tasted was a snow cone.
“There really is no comparison,” she said. “Shave ice is in a lane of its own.”
The sweet treat is comparable to snow, and is fine, lightly packed and softer than snow cones made from crushed ice. Shave ice is fluffy enough to absorb syrups, so the flavors are well distributed and there aren’t tasteless chunks left at the bottom.
Usually the dessert is made right in front of people in Hawaii, which the Sawyers relied on as part of their research.
They bought a Swan ice shaver machine to make the treat and imported syrups from Hawaii. Sometimes ice cream is an add-on, but the Sawyers will keep it simple without.
The menu features nine combinations, including Hana Highway with blue raspberry, lime and watermelon flavors; Lahaina Luau with strawberry, banana and coconut flavors; and P.O.G. with pineapple, orange and guava flavors. Toasted coconut, sweetened condensed milk and li hing mui, a sweet and salty plum powder, will be available as toppings.
“We tried to make it as authentic as we possibly could by getting the exact things they use,” Julianne Sawyer said.
The couple inquired about securing a spot at the Bangor waterfront, which hosts other food trucks, but there was no available space. Sawyer’s Shave Ice will be parked on Broadway, but it could move to a new location later.
The business, which is technically a trailer with a concession window that the Sawyers will tow behind their vehicle, will operate seasonally. Julianne Sawyer anticipates it will shut down in the fall, once it starts to get cold outside.
The 33-year-old is a freelance writer but her background is in digital marketing, so she designed the logo and graphic design for the business. Holden-based Atlas Wrap Co. installed the vehicle wraps. Andrew Sawyer, who is 34, is a software engineer currently between jobs, so he will focus on the truck this summer.
When the Sawyers had family and friends sample their shave ice this week, they were pleasantly surprised. It sounds simple, but it’s a refreshing, unique treat that’s perfect on a hot summer day, Julianne Sawyer said.
“The Hawaiians really refined the craft of shave ice over the years, and they’ve become known for it,” she said. “If you want to taste what you’d get in Hawaii and don’t want to spend 12 hours on a plane, come see us.”
