Tropical Moose: the Teenagers’ Dream Job

The day school was out, Sara Barnard, a junior at , said she knew exactly where she wanted to work over the summer: Tropical Moose, a shaved-ice parlor with two locations in Kirkwood and one in Webster Groves.

“Me and my friends pretty much live in Tropical Moose, so I thought it would be a great job for me,” said Barnard, who is still waiting to hear from Topical Moose if she got the job. “I also realized that during the summer you have a lot more time and you need a lot more money and your parents usually don’t want to give it to you.”

But Barnard is not the only area-teen interested in working at the shaved-ice joint. Suzanne Hesse, a manager at Tropical Moose in Kirkwood, said the store receives inquiries about working there “on a daily basis.”

“It’s a great, fun work environment,” said Hesse, a 2011 graduate who has been working at Tropical Moose since her freshman year of high school. “It’s perfect for any teenager who wants a summer job.”

Hesse, however, said those seeking a job at Tropical Moose may be in a waiting list.

“But we don’t discourage anyone from applying,” Hesse said. “We never know when we might need someone new.”

Hesse said the work at Tropical Moose is fun, but can get very busy, especially during hot-summer days.

“Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the crowd,” Hesse said. “We have huge lines and we really try to go through everyone quickly. Everyone is always working and multitasking while being extremely friendly.”

Patience and friendliness, Hesse said, are some of the key factors the owners of Tropical Moose will be on the lookout for in their workers.

She said it is that friendliness, perhaps, what makes Tropical Moose such a desirable job for teenagers.

“Everyone who I work with, we are all friends,” Hesse said.