For the past five years, people have flocked to Evans on Ice for family entertainment, but its owners, Mike and Christine Boerner have faced their share of obstacles in running the seasonal business.
The Boerners opened the ice-skating rink, which was originally located in the Augusta Common, in 2017. At that time, it was called Augusta on Ice. After the first year, city officials told them they would have to pay a much larger amount to continue operating in that location, so the couple moved the skating attraction to Evans Towne Center Park.
“It’s a ton of work every year to set it up and break it down again,” Mike said. “From a business standpoint, it offers challenges in almost every direction.”
One of those challenges is the weather, which is often unpredictable. Because the rink is covered, rain doesn’t pose a problem, but unseasonably warm temperatures do.
“We’re outdoor, and we’re in Georgia, so the quality of our ice is not great,” he said. “Our ice is sometimes a little choppy.”
So far this year, they haven’t been forced to close a single day, but last year, an electrical problem kept Evans on Ice closed for a week.
“I hate disappointing customers,” Mike said.
But despite the obstacles the couple has faced, people love the attraction. He estimates about 15,000 skaters each year visit Evans on Ice, which doesn’t include parents and grandparents who come to watch their children and grandchildren skate.
“Our goal each year is to get in the 14,000 range,” Mike said.
That’s not hard to do considering the rink is open every day for eight weeks, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. He said surprisingly, many families visit on those holidays. This year, the rink opened on Monday, Nov. 14, and will close on Sunday, Jan.8.
Mike said he was inspired to launch Evans on Ice by a former customer at a previous job who opened a similar business in Northern California. When they moved to Augusta, he was surprised to find the city had no indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink.
The couple are serial entrepreneurs. Since 2013, they have owned Cielo Pill Holders, which sells keychain pill holders and was inspired by Christine’s battle with an autoimmune condition. Mike owns and operates Augusta Tint Solutions, which primarily provides commercial window tinting services.
“When we moved to Augusta, we were looking for our next business opportunity but also looking for a way to plug into the local community,” he said.
The Boerners have developed a strong partnership with Columbia County and local businesses, such as Bailey’s Comfort Services, which is one of their sponsors. Mike said they also partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta to provide tickets for children who would otherwise, probably never get the opportunity to visit the attraction.
Besides ice skating, Evans on Ice offers skating lessons taught by figure skaters and sells various refreshments, including coffee, cider, tea, and candy.
“We sell a crazy amount of hot cocoa,” he said.
They also host birthday parties. Mike said many parents have thanked them for providing the seasonal business for their children to enjoy, which he loves to hear.
“People appreciate that we keep coming back,” Mike said.
Tickets cost $13 Monday through Thursday and $17 Friday through Sunday. They also sell season passes, which allow guests unlimited access to the rink, for $140. Evans on Ice is open Monday through Thursday from 5-9 p.m., Friday from 5-10 p.m., Saturday from 12-10 p.m., and Sunday from 12-9 p.m. For more information, visit evansonice.com/.
