Today we’d like to introduce you to Roon Johnson
Hi Roon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always had a love for the community that comes with food. In my high school and college years, I worked in restaurants as a manager to a line cook. It was at my high school job at a custard shop in my hometown that I had the idea for a new concept. We had sweet waffle cones for the custard and sandwiches for meals, I thought that there could be a hybrid between the two. I thought about this concept constantly while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after graduating from The University of Kansas in May of 2017. However, it was always just an idea…
Fastforward to May of 2020, I was working my Manufacturing Rep job during what would turn out to be a long time working from home. During this time, I decided to get a waffle iron and test my idea to see if it was something more than just an idea. I tweaked and iterated the recipe 27 times to get it right. Born from this time in the “lab” (my one-bedroom apartment in Loring Park), was the Savory Cone. The cone has cheeses and herbs in the cone itself that makes it savory forward and not sweet. We then put delicious entree fillings in the savory cones, such as Buffalo Chicken Mac, Curry Chicken Salad, American Taco, Classic Chicken Salad… The cone is the vessel, and the entree filling possibilities are endless!
I started small as a side hustle with bridal showers and brewery gigs. However, I realized I wasn’t doing my job, or my new side hustle the justice they both deserved. So, I paused and made a plan for how I could pursue Roon’s Savory Cones full-time. I decided that I would rather be disappointed, than wonder, “what if”…
So, I gracefully left my job in August of 2022 to pursue Roon’s Savory Cones full-time. This first step was the necessary leap to make my dreams a reality.
I kept things the right size with the business and operated as a one-man-show to get the necessary proof of concept out there through various opportunities. I quickly learned by doing and applied what I learned to refine the business. We homed in on our goal of being in Stadiums and ultimately the State Fair, along with other strong prongs of the business.
We realized as we grew that people see “Cones” and think ice cream. We tried for a while to recondition the minds of the consumer to think that a “Cone” doesn’t have to be sweet. This was a difficult proposition, and we side stepped the issue here by rebranding to Roon’s Savories. Taking “cone” out of the name has greatly helped people come in with an open mind and not assuming we serve ice cream. We love ice cream, but Roon’s Savories is so much more. We love the challenge of converting people to the new experience that is Roon’s Savories.
We are now in US Bank Stadium and Target Center, and we are continually building our presence around the Twin Cities. We are excited to announce fun updates we are working on for 2025!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
See last answer with the issues with people thinking we serve ice cream or have food in a sweet waffle cone.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are Roon’s Savories, and we serve savory waffle cones with entree fillings. We are a new food concept that is looking to make disruption in the way people look at food possibilities at events and stadium events. We like to say we are an elevated handheld experience. Getting people to understand what we are offering is always the challenge. Once people try our product, they fall in love with the brand. We have many repeat customers, and it is rare that a Roon’s Savories goes unfinished.
We are most proud of creating something new and fresh that people are grateful to find at events.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
FAMILY and Friends – My family has been so supportive and helped me through some of the doubt and challenges that exist with starting your own business. My friends have also been supportive and inspire me to continue on the path.
COMMUNITY – the Twins Cities community is why I do what I do. I love being at events with thousands of people all there for a purpose of community and being able to serve in that space fuels me. I love the connection that exists in these settings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://roonssavories.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roonssavories/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089594127245
