Fight the heat with cool shaved ice

These hot days of late summer and early fall make a cold treat especially refreshing, and Chilly Willy’s Shaved Ice on Valleydale Road offers plenty of ways to cool down.

Owner John Cole said he decided to open Chilly Willy’s after noticing that the area did not have a shaved ice shop offering specialty creations. The steady traffic along Valleydale Road and Highway 280 also made it an appealing location.

“We wanted to create a fun, family-friendly place that offered something different,” Cole said. “There really wasn’t anywhere nearby focused on premium shaved ice with a large variety of flavors and specialty creations. We also liked the idea of building something together as a family that could grow over time.”

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Mitzi Eaker

Chilly Willy's storefront

Chilly Willy's opened this month on Valleydale Road, near Highway 280

In addition to signature flavors and a build-your-own option, Chilly Willy’s offers its Frozen Fuel series, which combines shaved ice with Alani Nu energy drinks. Willy the Yeti, the shop’s mascot, adds to the fun atmosphere for families and young children.

Cole said the family’s immediate goal is to make its first location successful.

“Our main focus is making this first location successful and becoming part of the community,” he said. “We’ll continue introducing new flavors and seasonal creations, including fun local rivalry specials like the BIG AL-valanche and Toomer’s Tundra. If everything goes well, we’d certainly be open to additional locations in the future, but we want to build this one the right way first.”

Chilly Willy’s currently operates exclusively from its storefront, but Cole said they are considering adding a trailer in the future to serve sporting events, offices and other gatherings.

Visit Chilly Willy’s Shaved Ice in the Inverness Village shopping center, 5291 Valleydale Road, Suite 107, and follow the business on Facebook and Instagram for updates, and visit their website for their full menu and hours of operation.