CHEEKTOWAGA, NY — This is not a drill.
This is also not a punchline.
Buffalo now has a 7-foot tall, man-powered snow cone machine, which includes a big hammer and a massive hamster wheel.
Trust me; I tried it.
Tim Murphy bought it as the newest attraction for his company, Fun Buffalo, which offers an ever-expanding group of games, attractions, and ideas for whatever kind of party you can imagine.
"We're always looking for new things to add to our business," Murphy said. "We came across this probably about a year ago. Once we get it back to the neighborhood, it'll be pretty popular amongst the kids and adults."
He found the wheel near Orlando, FL... But the twist is that the man who built and owned it, Joe Donoughe, was originally from North Tonawanda.
Donoughe had finally found the right person to get his invention back to Buffalo.
"When I first met Tim and he told me he was from Buffalo, its like 'Tim, you gotta do this, okay? Because if you don't do it, I'm going to,'" laughed Donoughe.
All they needed now was the perfect spot to debut the wheel, so when Joe Redlinski — owner of Redlinski Meats — was looking for something fun to add to his weekly "Customer Appreciation Day" event, it was an easy choice.
Redlinski hosts that event each Friday, serving BBQ chicken and rib dinners at 3 p.m.
But before that, he had plenty of customers lining up to run the wheel in his parking lot.
If you missed the first display of this unique snow cone machine, don't worry: it's here in Buffalo to stay.
Murphy will be bringing the wheel to the Buffalo Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, May 12 at 4625 Harlem Road.
And in June, the wheel will also make an appearance at Riverfest.
You can follow Fun Buffalo's Facebook page for the latest updates and appearances.