Carolina Quench is an Italian ice brand that opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2009. It was founded by Vince Smith. Throughout the 1980s, during Smith's lifeguarding days, a delicious soft frozen lemonade treated called "Lemon Quench" was often sold from pushcarts along the North Myrtle Beach coast by bikini-clad "Quench Wenches". Eventually that operation went out of business and snow cones became the new treat sold on the beaches. Smith longed for the delicious lemon treat, so he started his own push cart operation for the North Strand Beach Service selling his own take on the dessert. It became an instant hit. The product went through a number of name changes over the years, including "Lemon Twist", "Freshers", and "Soft Frozen Lemonade". When the North Strand Beach Service stopped providing frozen treats to the beaches, Smith started his own brand which he dubbed "Carolina Quench". All of the Italian ice varieties are gluten free, dairy free, cholesterol free, fat free and sweetened with pure cane sugar, never high fructose corn syrup. They are also made with real fruit, fruit juices and no added preservatives or colorings. Push carts can be found all over Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and even parts of North Carolina. A brick & mortar storefront opened in May 2020. Each push cart offers up to 10 flavors, but up to 19 can be found at the storefront.
My family and I recently tried Carolina Quench's Italian ices while we were on an East Coast Road Trip. We stayed in North Myrtle Beach for a couple of days at the Club Wyndham Towers on the Grove. There was a Carolina Quench push cart conveniently located by the hotel's pool area. One day while we were at the pool, we thought that locally made Italian ice sounded delightful! I had "Lemon ", my wife had "Mango/Peach" and our sons both had "Blue Raspberry". This was really good Italian ice and it definitely hit the spot on a hot day by the pool! If we find ourselves in Myrtle Beach again then we'll definitely be looking for Carolina Quench! read more