Kernel Colada's Snack Shack is a slice of the Tropics right here in Columbia City
(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Lindsey Hively's artistic flair and attention to detail are evident in the handpainted walls at her new business, Kernel Colada's Snack Shack, above. Below, Lindsey shows a basket filled with an Odie, one of the 15 designer hot dogs available at Kernel Colada's Snack Shack. Below, center, from left, Gary Hively and his daughter, Lindsey Hively stand at the counter in their new business. At bottom, just inside the front door, patrons are immediately aware they've just entered a sunny paradise -- regardless of the weather outside.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano 
It wouldn’t take much to convince yourself that you’re watching a sunset at the seaside. You’re sitting beneath a palm tree, sipping a tropical fruit smoothie. Beneath your feet, you can feel the worn wood of an old deck and overhead, colorful patio lights cast a little more tropical ambiance. Were they truly scented, the tropical flowers on the bamboo porch would smell wonderful.
If you sit so you cannot see out the windows, you might really believe, at least during your lunch hour, that you’re on vacation somewhere – perhaps California? Maybe Cabo?
So where is this wondrous place?
If you haven’t already heard, the most interesting new place in Columbia City is Kernel Colada’s Snack Shack, located on the western end of the Aladdin building on Walker Way, the short roadway leading from North Main Street to North Line Street, just south of US 30.
You might get an indication of what you’ll find inside if you catch a glimpse of the palm trees or perky pink flamingos affixed to the outer walls, beckoning guests inside or an even bigger treat.
The result of over a year’s work of local resident Gary Hively and his daughter, Lindsey Hively, Kernel Colada’s Snack Shack is a breath of fresh air and has the potential to lighten your mood while filling your belly. 
Open almost two weeks now, they’re already realizing great success with most customers having returned two, three or four times – eager to try a new flavor of popcorn, to sample the tropical frozen yogurt, chill out with a smoothie or bravely take their tastebuds to new heights with a designer hot dog.
A designer hot dog?
According to Gary Hively, they currently offer 15 signature design-a-dog hotdogs. Utilizing a kosher, all beef hot dog, they load them up and tack on names like “the Bronx bad boy,” “the Rooty Tooty,” “Southern Slaw Dog,” “Wagon Train,” or the popular “Windy City Weiner.” If you like ‘em plain, you can just order a “Streaker” or you can create your own endless combinations of toppings.
The afternoon of our interview, Lindsey brought out an “Odie.” The Odie, alluding to Garfield’s buddy, features marinara sauce, cottage cheese, green peppers, onions and, of course, cheese.
“We can do anything custom,” Gary said of the many creations they’ve come up with so far for the menu.
“I don’t know if you can have a gourmet hotdog, but this is pretty close,” he said.
If hotdogs aren’t your thing, they’ve got plenty more on the menu including eight varieties of fruit smoothies, most of which made with green tea. They also offer a few things you won’t typically find all year long – but that you’ll really come to appreciate in the winter months.
“We’ve got the same ice cream you can get at the 4-H Fair,” Gary said. And, most people look forward to shakeups during the summer street fairs like Old Settlers Days. “We’ve got lemon and lime shakeups,” he added.
The lime shakeups are among the new concoctions created at Kernel Colada’s. A family member had acquired a few too many limes and so they used them to make shakeups instead of lemons.
“I thought I’d just make some up to use up the limes,” Gary said. “We had such a rave response we had to put them on the menu.”
It’s been their plan all along to have a business in the location, but the exact nature of the business became clear within the past year. Lindsey, a business major in college, was looking for a way to use her education and Gary, the owner of Aladdin carpet cleaning (which occupies a larger area in the same building), had the space. So, the father-daughter duo decided to go into business together.
“I had this room,” Gary said, looking proudly at the way his daughter has already transformed the space, having handpainted the walls herself and created most of the items on the menu. The area had initially been a tattoo parlor, but as the back area of the family business, Gary is pleased to have the whole building as the site of two family businesses. 
The proximity of the two family businesses has been helpful for a lot of reasons. First, Gary and Lindsey aren’t far away from each other for answering questions, finding help, etc. Additionally, Gary’s employees at Aladdin now don’t even have to leave the building for lunch if they don’t want to.
Most importantly, it has been a great opportunity for sharing business resources and information.
Early on, they wanted to have a gourmet popcorn business.
“During high school, she got famous for her popcorn parties,” Gary said of his daughter. Trying new popcorn varieties and combinations was a fun hobby and it all expanded from there.
“We thought people might be able to come in and buy popcorn to enjoy at home while they watched movies,” Gary said.
Since then, the idea has expanded from buttered popcorn to sour apple, Chicago-style, blueberry, cheese, carmel corn, cherry and many more. A unique option is the cookies and cream and a hot seller has been the “strawberry cheesecake” flavored popcorn – the big hit for Mother’s Day. They keep making it and they keep selling out.
“We don’t even have half the flavors yet,” Lindsey said.
The flavors available daily change and can be found in three different sizes. If you like, they can even customize packaging or add special stickers to celebrate a new baby, for example.
“Carmel corn has been called the ‘snack of the year,” Gary said. In addition to being a tasty snack, many of the Hively’s varieties will satisfy a sweet tooth as well.
Another menu item with growing popularity is the tropical frozen yogurt, made with real fruit and possessing a refreshing, zippy finish.
“There’s a brand called ‘Pink Berry,’ a European soft serve frozen yogurt that’s popular in L.A.,” Gary said. “The celebrities call it ‘Crack Berry.” Similarly, patrons are finding that Kernel Colada’s tropical frozen yogurt is equally as addictive.
“Once we get the word out, it’s a matter of getting people to come in and try our food,” he said. “We’re going for gourmet, top notch, best of the best food here.”
Just two weeks into it, they’ve already got plenty of ideas for expansion, adding new items and planning for the future.
“We’ve got another room we’re remodeling for parties in the back,” Gary added.
“We’ve already been asked quite a few times if we’re a franchise,” Gary said. “We’re not. We’ve done this all ourselves, but that’s the game plan actually,” he said, hoping others might want to duplicate their business model somewhere else. “We’re doing a franchise prototype here.”
As is evident from the attention to details, they’ve certainly done their homework – bringing something new, different and very fun to Columbia City.
Kernel Colada’s Snack Shack is open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. They’re located at 120 West Walker Way. Special orders may be called in at 244-3745.