PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

In 2012, Brian and Debbie LaChance rolled the dice on a new business venture by purchasing a 13-foot-tall, fiberglass snowman. They spent the next year preparing a section of their 6-acre property in Portersville, Butler County for the grand opening.

The once-weather-beaten snowman, found in a warehouse full of novelty architecture, has moved like a cold front across the country, from New Mexico to Texas to Mississippi to Ohio. With a makeover and some help from the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (the organization helped the LaChances plow through a lot of red tape), The Snowman opened in 2013.

He’s been melting hearts ever since; customers warmed to The Snowman right away. When the mercury rises, they gather in droves in front of the big guy to buy milkshakes, sundaes, frappes, Hershey’s ice cream and pup cups. Up to four employees can occupy his igloo-like interior to dish out 24 varieties of gluten-free, cane sugar shave ice and other goodies.

The best-selling Yeti Sundae combines your favorite shave ice flavor with vanilla or chocolate ice cream topped with whipped cream. As it turns out, frozen treats taste better when they come from the belly of a colossal Frosty.

Find It!
Portersville: 238 East Portersville Road, off I-79, near Moraine State Park