Kona Ice Founder Starts New Concept: Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck

FLORENCE, KY — Tony Lamb, the visionary entrepreneur behind Kona Ice, the shaved ice franchise, has done it again. After revolutionizing the food truck industry with Kona Ice, Lamb and his team of corporate staff have expanded his mobile business empire by founding Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck, offering a fresh, mobile twist on coffee. Launched in 2020, Travelin' Tom's is already making waves, with 200 franchised trucks on the road and over 200+ reservations for future trucks.

Lamb, who started Kona Ice in 2007 after a disappointing experience with an ice cream truck left his daughter upset, set out to change the mobile food space. “I remember sitting in my office with a designer, working on the original Kona truck,” Lamb said. “We were dreaming big, but I never expected Kona Ice to grow into what it is today.” With more than 1,900 trucks operating in 49 states and Canada, Kona Ice is the world’s largest food truck franchise.

Leveraging the lessons learned from Kona Ice, Lamb saw an opportunity to bring those learnings to another space — mobile coffee. “It wasn’t just about creating another food truck,” Lamb said. “We knew we had a scalable, repeatable system that could work across other concepts, and coffee was a natural next step.”

Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck brings a one-of-a-kind premium mobile beverage experience directly to you, offering our wide array of beverages for any occasion. Whether you're craving a signature Nitro Cold Brew, a Caramel Frappe or a fruity Refresher, Travelin' Tom's has something for everyone — even non-coffee drinkers, with options like hot chocolates, energy drinks, lemonades and teas. Perfect for corporate events, school functions, neighborhood block parties or large festivals, Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck delivers caffeination and refreshment with a personal touch.

Lamb shared his excitement for the growth of Travelin' Tom's, saying, “We rolled out the first prototype in 2020, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had the infrastructure and know-how from Kona, and within just a few months, we had our first Travelin' Tom's trucks on the road.”

Kona Ice’s meteoric rise can be attributed to Lamb’s relentless focus on the business model’s three essential factors: cost, service speed and product quality. “The key to success in the mobile industry is engineering a business that works efficiently. For both Kona and Travelin' Tom's, we focused on getting the truck costs right, ensuring quick service and delivering quality at a price point that works,” said Lamb.

Travelin' Tom's isn’t just following Kona’s blueprint — it’s evolving. “We’re already seeing some trucks gross more than Kona trucks,” said Lamb. “The demand for high-quality, mobile coffee is real, and we’re ready to meet it head-on.”

Kona Ice’s accolades speak volumes to Lamb’s ability to craft a winning franchise. The company has been recognized on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list for over a decade, regularly named among the top 25 fastest-growing franchises and has earned top spots in Franchise Business Review’s rankings for franchisee satisfaction for 12 consecutive years.

“We’ve created a support system that allows franchisees to thrive,” Lamb said. “And we’re doing the same thing with Travelin' Tom's. We’re ready to take the mobile coffee industry by storm. When you can show up and serve hundreds of people in minutes and not hours… it’s a revolution!”

As Lamb gears up for the next chapter with Travelin' Tom's, he remains passionate about innovation and growth. “We’ve got another concept already in the works,” Lamb said. “The opportunities in the mobile space are endless, and we’ve only just begun.”

For more information on Travelin' Tom's, visit: https://travelintomscoffee.com/.

About Travelin’ Toms

Founded in 2020 by Tony Lamb, the visionary behind Kona Ice, Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck delivers a unique, mobile beverage experience to events and gatherings of all sizes. Offering a wide range of freshly made, customizable beverages—including signature Nitro Cold Brew, Caramel Frappe, hot chocolates, energy drinks, and more—Travelin' Tom's caters to coffee lovers and non-coffee drinkers alike. With a commitment to quality and convenience, the franchise continues to grow rapidly, bringing caffeination inspiration and fruity refreshment to communities nationwide. For more information, visit www.travelintoms.com.

About Kona Ice
Founded in 2007 by Tony Lamb, Kona Ice launched its first Kona Entertainment Vehicle (KEV) in Florence, Kentucky, offering a unique combination of cleanliness, friendliness, and a one-of-a-kind experience. Today, Kona Ice has grown to more than 1,700 mobile units that serve 49 states across the country. Kona Ice has been named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 11 consecutive years, earning a spot on the Franchise 500 Hall of Fame, and most recently being named #1 in the “Frozen Desserts” and “Ice Cream” categories. In addition, Kona was named to the Franchise Business Review Top 200 list in the overall “Top 50” and “Enterprise” categories. Other accolades include being named a “Top 100 Most Innovative Franchise” by Franchise Business Review and a “Top Franchise for Veterans.” With a commitment to giving back, Kona Ice has donated over $185 million to communities nationwide. For more on Kona Ice, visit the brand’s online Newsroom and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news. For more information about booking Kona Ice for a fundraiser or event, visit www.kona-ice.com. To learn more about available franchise opportunities, visit www.ownakona.com or call (800) KONAICE.