I'm a Slupaholic. I am addicted to Slurpee's and its cousin the Icie
(SP?). I grew up in Miami and these addictive beverages were always
available at the corner gas station and/or 7-11. I moved to Minnesota
last year, and have been unable to find any, and am suffering from
withdrawal. I did set up a clandestine Slurpee lab at my apartment
using cheaper ingredients and a regular household blender. The results
were not quite the same, but have temporarily kept me from doing
something more drastic. Like freezing Coke in a Dixie cup and spooning
it out. (I'm so ashamed).

I tried converting to Slushie's, but the ice consistency is not the
same, and really doesn't satisfy my craving (so this rules out Dairy
Queens version, and the brand with the "dog wearing a tuque" logo,
Slush Puppy I think).

Please help me find a "dealer" in my area so I can get my fix. 

The zip code for where I live is 55077.

I would actually also be interested in knowing who makes/sells these
machines (small commercial versions) if you can find them, but this
info would not be necessary for an answer.

This is my cry for help.

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Clarification of Question by cvenom-ga on 05 Apr 2005 08:27 PDT

Pink that shameless device is what got me into the state that I am in
now! I do remember many a warm day turning that handle for several
minutes to get a small dixie cup of shavings and topping it off with
some flavored syrup. I tired of this quickly and moved on to the hard
stuff.

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Clarification of Question by cvenom-ga on 08 Apr 2005 06:49 PDT

pafalafa - No luck on the BK in the area. 

It seems the Kmart - Target suggetion by sile3 is a winner. While it's
not as convenient a corner gas station, it works.

Thanks to all who helped.

Ebay has a machine up for sale. 510$ 
The Minnesota market is wide open, make the switch from user to dealer. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=25365&item=7505208057&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Dear Slurpless in Minnesota,

Have you seen this device?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006FMK3/104-8416173-3073508

S&A,
I never realized those things were so expensive. I have often
entertained the idea of mounting one to a trailer and selling the
frozen concoction at flea markets, etc. If I could pick one up on the
cheap (like the EBay one), I'd probably do fairly well.

Have you checked your local Burger King?  They have a pretty good froz
drink that's not only icy but carbonated as well.  Kind of weird, but
in a good way...

Depending on the "phraseology" (i.e., slurpees, smoothies, swirls or
slushies, etc.) a good blender (Smoothie Elite $42.00 or Smoothie Pro
$40.00) and some different recipes might be worthwhile.

I did note a few websites that might be helpful:

slushie.com
swirldrink.com
margaritamancl.com

But a friend of mine at work told me that the 7-11s that had the good
ones were bought out by Super America stores.  You might want to give
them a shot.  She also said the K-marts and Big K-marts have some
decent ones as well.  She gives top kudos to the ones at Target in N.
St. Paul.

Good luck!

According to the "Official Slurpee Web Site" --slurpees are sold only
at 7-Eleven's.

Slurpee
http://www.slurpee.com/index.html

7-Eleven Store Locator
http://www.7-eleven.com/storelocator/PrxInput.aspx

A pic of a genuine Slurpee
http://www.7-eleven.com/products/product_detail.asp?catalog%5Fname=7ElevenNew&category%5Fname=Tasty+Beverages&subcategory%5Fname=Frozen+Refreshment&product%5Fid=00070&thumb=1

The sad news is that on the Franchise page, it says this:

..."Franchises are not available to residents of North Dakota, South
Dakota, Minnesota and Hawaii...."

So... all you would be able to get is an imitation. That's not all
bad, just resign yourself to that. Next, go here:

http://frozen-drink-machines.net/frozen_drink_machine.html

Also, in your area, watch for restuarants that are closing, they might
have one to sell. You can also go to Restuarant Supply stores and look
for a new one.  SOme of the low end are suitable for addicts drinking
at home.

"Frozen Beverage Dispenser" "Restaurant supplies" [Your City]

...might bring up results. Also try "Margarita Machine" --you'll come
up with rentals (for parties). Call some of them nearby you and see if
they have a used machine they don't use much anymore. Or one that is
quirky that gives them repeated 'simple' service problems... a pain
for someone to leave their home to fix, but no problem to an addict
standing in front of the machine.

The Margarita Machines make wonderful Slurpee-like beverages, you can
just omit the alcohol and Margarita mix, and add Slurpee mix instead.

~~Cynthia