The brightly painted snowball hut beside the Poplarville City Park recently came under new management, who in their first couple of weeks as owners are implementing new ideas to expand the business’ services.
Southern Sno, owned by Meagan Spiers and Adrienne Gill, currently offers a variety of flavored snowballs as well as coffee, frappuccinos, lattes, pickles and nachos.
In the future, Southern Sno will expand the menu offerings to include concession-style food and milkshakes. During football season, Gill said the hours on Friday nights will be extended for home games of the Poplarville High Hornets football team.
“We will be open until 10 p.m. on those nights, serving the team, fans and anyone else that wants a treat before they go home,” Gill said.
Spiers and Gill said the business currently offers a unique twist on the average snowball.
At Southern Sno, customers can get a stuffed snowball, which is a flavored snowball with the addition of a filler, such as candy, ice cream, fruit and even cheesecake.
“Our plans for the future are to expand our services. We are excited for what the future holds and are blessed to receive the help and support of our families and friends,” Gill said.
Spiers, Gill and their husbands spent a long time deciding the type of business they wanted to open.
“We’ve always wanted to have our own business, but didn’t know what it was going to be,” Gill said.
After working at the snowball hut under the previous owner, Gill said an opportunity arose for them to buy the business and after careful deliberation, they invested in the snowball industry.
Gill and Spiers work at the Post Office in Poplarville and their husbands work at Ace Hardware stores. Through their working relationship, they knew they could own something special, Southern Sno.
“Me and my husband have been going through a lot lately and for this to come to fruition is a true blessing from the Lord. We are so humble and blessed to have such a great support system in our friends, family and community,” Gill said.
For Gill and Spiers, the motivation to buy the business came from Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
The snowball hut has been owned by multiple people in its nearly five years of existence. Under their ownership, Gill said the plan is to change the atmosphere.
“It will be ran by the whole family,” Gill said.
Gill’s children, 11- and 13-years-old, will run the window while the rest will share the remaining duties, giving the business a fun and family-friendly vibe that should put smiles on the customer’s faces, Spiers said.
Southern Sno is open from 2-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of home football games, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays.