September 18: Slurpees

It's been a big Slurpee summer for my family. We've hit the local 7-Eleven more this year than we ever have. Maybe because the kids are older or maybe just because the darn things are so addictive. Today, on the ride back home, my daughter asked when the first Slurpee was created. And, I didn't have an answer because I had no idea what the history of the Slurpee is. So, for those of you who've had that same experience that left you speechless with your kids...this one's for you. The Slurpee concept was originated by a poor farm boy from Barnes, Kansas named Omar Knedlik. The idea came to him while owning a Dairy Queen when he began serving semi-frozen bottled soft drinks to customers since the establishment did not have a working soda fountain. As the drink became increasingly popular, he came up with the idea to create a machine to dispense his new-found invention. Working with a Dallas-based company, called the John E. Mitchell Company, he developed the first modern-day ICEE machine...yes, that ICEE. The company made and sold about 300 machines before order volume became unmanageable, at which time ownership elected to go in the direction of distributorships to grow the business. In 1965, 7-Eleven began buying the machines and called their version "Slurpees". And, there you have it...the origin of the Slurpee.