Ono Ice Shack is bringing its Hawaiian shave ice from a seasonal trailer to a year-round storefront inside the Waterfront Market at Ruston. Owner Nisone Kim says the new shop will open along Commencement Bay.
Kim and her husband started Ono Ice Shack in summer 2022 after moving to Tehaleh and finding no nearby shave ice spot, as The News Tribune reports. They took their trailer to neighborhoods across Pierce County and partnered with schools and youth sports teams. The business is also an approved vendor with the Clover Park School District for school events and facility gatherings.
From Seasonal Trailer to Permanent Storefront
A positive response to the business this past summer prompted Kim to look for a permanent location, according to The News Tribune. She also wanted to offer employees work throughout the year rather than seasonal jobs. The shop will start with weekend hours, with Kim hoping to add days as demand grows. The trailer will continue serving warmer-month events.
The trailer had already gained regional recognition before the move: Ono Ice Shack placed first in Food Truck and second in Frozen Treat in the Best of Pierce County 2025 awards.
What Makes Shave Ice Different From a Snow Cone
Kim describes Hawaiian shave ice as lighter and fluffier than a mainland snow cone, according to The News Tribune. The difference comes from shaving a block of ice into fine flakes with a specialized machine, rather than crushing ice into larger pieces, as Wikipedia explains.
Hawaiian shave ice is connected to kakigōri, a Japanese shaved-ice dessert; its roots in Hawaii date to Japanese immigrant plantation laborers, according to Wikipedia. Ono Ice Shack uses syrups shipped from Hawaii and offers more than a dozen flavors, including ube, lychee, blue raspberry, matcha, guava and mango, as well as cherry and lemon-lime, The News Tribune reports. A mini costs $5, a regular $8 and a large $9.50; customers can mix three flavors in any size. Ice cream and sour spray are available as add-ons, and Kim plans to add instant ramyeon, a Korean noodle dish, to the menu.
A Year-Round Market Setting
The Waterfront Market at Ruston is an indoor marketplace at 5101 Yacht Club Road, with local businesses and rotating pop-up vendors, according to Visit Tacoma-Pierce County. Its monthly events include the Tacoma Flea, which features more than 60 rotating vendors selling vintage clothing, artisan goods and specialty food, as SouthSoundTalk reports.
How Point Ruston Became a Year-Round Destination
The market describes itself as an indoor, year-round marketplace for local artisans, specialty vendors and small businesses, and says its permanent tenant spaces connect businesses with locals and visitors throughout the year, according to the Waterfront Market at Ruston. The wider waterfront district has a longer redevelopment history: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Point Ruston LLC bought the former Asarco Tacoma Smelter Facility property in 2006 and took on its cleanup and redevelopment. The City of Tacoma and City of Ruston’s Point Ruston Phase II FSEIS describes the broader development—not specifically the market—as including residences, shops, restaurants, parks, trails and shoreline amenities along Commencement Bay.
The market’s indoor, year-round format gives local businesses a place to serve visitors beyond the warmer months.
For Ono Ice Shack, the permanent space adds a year-round shop while leaving its trailer available for seasonal events.
