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It’s time to eat like it’s 1985.
Area entrepreneur Mike Micochero has revived a business called The Polar Cup, popular in the 1980s and 90s.
Bradenton-based Micochero describes The Polar Cup as a rich Italian ice with different flavors. Lemon is the staple, he says, and other flavors include watermelon, mango, cherry, strawberry, blueberry, piña colada and Hawaiian Punch.
Micochero, who had his first Polar Cup as a student at Southeast High School in Bradenton, hopes to build on the nostalgia of those in the region and introduce new fans to the icy treat. “It was an old childhood memory I used to always love,” he tells Coffee Talk. “I thought it would be neat to bring back the memories.”
To revive The Polar Cup in the area, Micochero went on the hunt for an original owner. After many Google searches and late nights trying to track him down, Micochero found Armando Echeverri in Tampa. Micochero says they worked out a deal: Micochero would be the exclusive distributor in Manatee and Sarasota counties, have right of first refusal if he wants to expand to other areas and Echeverri would make The Polar Cup product for him.
Although Micochero declines to disclose his investment in the business, he says it included acquiring a van, food license, freezer, insurance and permits.
In November 2019, he started selling the treats. Prices range from $3 to $4. He attends events throughout the area, from barbecues and school movie nights to fairs and carnivals. Clients include schools rewarding students, companies holding corporate events and churches hosting outreach programs.
One key to increasing sales has been customer education. “Teaching the kids what a Polar Cup is because they’ve never experienced it — that’s my biggest obstacle right now,” Micochero says.
By summer 2020, Micochero plans to expand to three vans. He’s also looking for a small building where the vans could pick up the product and Polar Cups could be served from a window. He expects business to be even better during the hot summer months. “It’s been going very well,” Micochero says. “Just the excitement of people seeing it back and bringing back childhood memories is keeping us busy already.”
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