Brightside: Kona Ice
SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. – It’s hot, and that’s usually the time when many of us get a sweet treat! So, if you knew that for every frozen cup you bought, it benefited someone else in the community, would you buy it more often? On this week’s edition of the Brightside, brought to you in part by Choptank Electric, WMDT visits a truck doing some “cool” things for the community.
Desserts Over Discipline
Megan Nehrbas and her husband, John co-own a Kona Ice shaved ice truck serving Sussex County. During the day, Megan is a Senior GIS Manager. “No one comes up to the truck upset or angry. Everybody comes up with a smile on their face.”
John is a school climate and behavior specialist for Milford High, but he’d rather be giving out Kona instead of correction. “We’ve got a franchise here in Sussex County so that I had something to do during the summer that was a change of pace from my regular job… We serve smiles. Everybody who comes up to the Kona Ice Truck is happy. They’re excited. We do a lot within our community. We’re really big on giving back.”
Serving Up Smiles
Since April 2025, John says they’ve given back over $3,000 to Delmarva Rush Soccer and Georgetown Elementary. Their kids: Liv, John Roman, and Fiona, also work on the truck as a way to spend quality time, and learn responsibility. That being said, Megan says it’s always a treat to get something sweet! I even had a chance to grab a spoon!
“You’re allowed to do self-service, which is certainly a big hit with the kids. I don’t know if you’ve heard of a “suicide” where you put all of the flavors in, and it’s sort of a free-for-all where the kids can get what they want, and they really enjoy serving themselves in that way.” She tells us her favorite. “Oooh! I like a combination of blue raspberry and tiger’s blood. It’s just something about that mix together that is really good”
Be good. Do Good. For Good.
Megan says service runs deep in their household and they’re enjoying lending a helping hand. “My husband is a veteran who was deployed three different times for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and it’s just really nice as a veteran to be in an environment where everything is good and everything is happy, and you’re contributing to your community.”
Although the flavors are amazing and the ice is cool, John says Kona Ice is a perfect way to create a positive community that looks on the bright side. “We want to be good stewards within our community. We want to do the right thing at the right time, and we really just want to be that positive influence. More than just a business, more than just selling shaved ice. it’s about bringing people together., giving them a good positive experience, and helping out wherever we can.”
Kona Ice has various spots they set up throughout Sussex County. For more information on where you can find them, click here.
