Swamp Sweets is a custom slushie business started by Sante Fe College student, Roneisha Poitier. Poitier has used her culinary skills to turn the classic slushie into a creative masterpiece. Each drink features bright colors, loads of candy and mouth watering flavor.

This fun twist on a classic has been featured at kids parties, bachelorette parties, baby showers and other celebrations in Gainesville.

The flavor combinations offered will surely send your taste buds into a world spin. The Swamp Sweets menu features unique flavors like Caribbean Tea, Miami Vice, Project X, Florida Gata, Pina Cum’lada and much more.

I personally have tasted Miami Vice . It is one of the top-sellers and after the first sip, I understood why. The slushie was a mix of strawberry and mango flavors topped with various candies. It was so good that I caused myself to get a brain freeze from drinking too much at once.

I was introduced to Swamp Sweets through Instagram. Pictures of the custom sweets appeared on my timeline and I was instantly intrigued. Like many businesses in this social media era, Swamp Sweets is completely run on Instagram.

The pictures posted on the Samp Sweets Instagram page were so intriguing that I had to meet the women behind the creations. On Sunday afternoon, I had a Q & A session with the owner, Roneisha Poitier.

Gainesville Sweet Gems: Tell me a little about yourself?

Roneisha Poitier: “I am 21 years old and I am originally from Deerfield Beach, Fl. I am currently a first responder and EMT student at Sante Fe College. This is my first year.”

GSG: How did Swamp Sweets get started?

RP: “I started making custom slushies while living in Tampa. I was having a hard time finding a job and my cousin would create custom drinks for different events. I love being creative and trying new things so I decided to give it a try. When I moved to Gainesville in January, it was difficult finding a job, so I decided to sell my drinks full time.”

GSG: How many slushie flavors do you offer?

RP: “I offer 10 flavors. However, if a customer wants a flavor that is not on the menu, I go out of my way to create the flavor for them.”

GSG: About how many drinks do you sell per week?

RP: “On average, I make at least 40 drinks during the week. On the weekend, I sell much more because that is usually when people host events and are in need of custom drinks.”

GSG: What is your top selling flavor combination?

RP: “ My highest seller is Miami Vice. It has fresh strawberries and mango with a hint of strawberry flavoring.”

GSG: What do you believe makes your business unique?

RP: “Each drink is a custom creation. I pride myself on quality and making sure my customers have the best. I don’t just mix around premade food flavoring. Everything I make is fresh. I also make sure to keep my prices low since I am in a college city.”

GSG: Is it hard owning a business and being a college student?

RP: “When I first started, yes it was. It took me about 3 months to build my client base. I also had issues balancing my class schedule. Now that my business is up and running, I made sure to have a flexible schedule to cater to my customers. The hardest part about owning a business is buying the products. I don’t have a regular job so sometimes it gets hard to keep ingredients stocked.”

GSG: Where do you see your business in the next few years?

RP: “My biggest goal is to expand. Currently, I don’t plan on having this business when I graduate but I want to reach as many people as possible until then.”

GSG: What would you like the public to know about Swamp Sweets?

RP: “ I want customers to know that they get what they pay for. Each customer is guaranteed good prices and quality.”

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The images pictured in the slideshow were taken from the swamp_sweets Instagram page to showcase the owner’s creativity with her permission.