By Krystle J. Bailey
From the Aloha State to the Garden State, the O’Neill family is bringing us a taste of Hawaii to the Jersey Shore this summer. Maui Joe’s Shave Ice, not to be confused with “shaved ice” or “water ice,” is a summer experience for the tastebuds. The uniquely layered treat is a taste of nostalgia for Joe O’Neill of Linwood. Having spent several years of his childhood growing up on the island of Maui, young O’Neill spent his summer days on Maui’s North Shore watching surf competitions with his family. The days always ended with a family trip for some shave ice on the way home.
After moving to Ocean City, Joe loved the flavors of South Jersey but longed for the taste of his childhood summers. Originally conceptualizing the idea for a shave ice truck in high school, Joe and his wife, Lauren, launched their hawaiian-inspired business in 2019.
“We had an idea that continued to come up in conversation. We didn’t want to still be talking about it when we were 60 or 70. We wanted to look back on our lives and say ‘we did it.’” shared Joe O’Neill.
The O’Neills began their shave ice business with a 10×10 tent at local farmers markets, introducing the east coast to the island favorite. They have since gone mobile with their first Maui Joe’s Shave Ice truck.
Shaved ice is layered with delicious flavors from top to bottom. The delightful treat begins with ice cream as the bottom layer, followed by the fluffy consistency of shave ice with a variety of flavors to choose from, topped off with sweet hawaiian cream.
The Hawaiian tradition dates back to the mid-1800’s when Japanese immigrants working in the sugar and pineapple fields would use their tools to shave flakes of ice from large ice blocks to cool down. They’d take their shaved ice pieces and coat it in sugar or fruit juice for a refreshing treat on a hot hawaiian afternoon. The treat grew in popularity over the decades and now can be found in local, family-owned shops from island to island.
By way of Joe and Lauren O’Neill, we can now enjoy Hawaiian shaved ice on our islands. This summer, as businesses are opening back up post-Covid, local families are making it a point to seek out Maui Joe’s as a summer tradition of their own.
Check out Maui Joe’s Shave Ice at the following locations this summer:
Fridays @ Ventnor Farmers Markets 8:30 am-Noon
Every Friday night at the Somers Point beach concert series
Saturdays @ Brigantine Farmers Market 8:00 am – Noon
Sundays @ Stone Harbor Farmers Market 8:00 am -12:30 pm
Tuesday @ West Cape May Farmers Market 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Joe and Lauren O’Neill are both full time teachers in South Jersey. They share three beautiful children who serve as the official taste testers for the family business. They can be contacted for private parties and events at 609-442-3101 or on social media at Maui Joe’s Shave Ice.
Krystle J Bailey. Multimedia journalist, Author, Poet.
Connect with Krystle on Instagram @thedailybailey5
