We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert And Ericka Bungert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Robert and Ericka , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Alien Cow Flavored Sno was born during a really difficult time for our family. My husband had been diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t return to his regular job, so we had to find a new path forward.
While visiting our daughter at college in Tennessee, we discovered a dessert shop serving a Korean-style treat called sno cream. The texture was incredibly light and creamy, and it inspired us to create our own version. Our sno cream uses a lactose-free cream base and is topped with things Americans love like cookies, candy, and cereal.
We also wanted to reinvent traditional shaved ice, which led to our second signature product: Flavored Sno. Instead of pouring syrup over ice, we incorporate the flavor into the ice before it’s shaved, so every bite is full of flavor.
What started during one of the hardest seasons of our lives turned into something positive — a place where our family could rebuild while bringing something fun, different, and memorable to our community.
Robert and Ericka , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m the co-owner of Alien Cow Flavored Sno, a small family-run dessert shop in Moncks Corner that was created during a time when our family had to completely rethink our future. After my husband was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t return to his regular job, we decided to take a leap and build something of our own.
Alien Cow specializes in two signature desserts: Sno Cream and Flavored Sno. Our sno cream was inspired by a Korean-style dessert we discovered while visiting our daughter at college in Tennessee. It’s made from a lactose-free cream base that’s shaved into a light, fluffy texture and topped with things Americans love like cookies, candy, and cereal.
Our Flavored Sno is our twist on traditional shaved ice. Instead of pouring syrup over plain ice, we incorporate the flavor into the ice before it’s shaved so every bite has the flavor built right in. It creates a completely different experience from the typical snow cone.
What really sets Alien Cow apart is the creativity and fun behind everything we do. From wild topping combinations to our alien theme and our mascot Nova, we’ve tried to create something that feels memorable and a little out of this world. We’re always experimenting with new flavors and limited-time specials to keep customers excited to come back.
Even though our shop is tucked away off the back roads of Moncks Corner, the community support has been incredible. We were honored to be named the 2025 Guide to South Carolina Best Ice Cream Parlor Winner, the 2024 Best of Berkeley winner for Best Ice Cream Parlor and Best Dessert, and a 2024 Charleston’s Choice Finalist for Best Ice Cream Shop. In 2025 we were finalists again in several Best of Berkeley categories and won Best Takeout, Best Restaurant in Moncks Corner, and Best Service. We’ve also been nominated for multiple 2026 awards including Best of Charleston, Holy City Magazine, and the Lowcountry Moms Choice Awards.
What I’m most proud of is the community that has grown around our shop. Alien Cow started during one of the hardest chapters of our lives, but it’s grown into something that brings joy, creativity, and a little bit of fun to people’s day — and that means everything to us.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Alien Cow Flavored Sno started during one of the hardest seasons of our lives. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, everything about our future suddenly felt uncertain. He wasn’t able to return to his regular job, and we had to figure out how to create a new path forward for our family.
Instead of letting that moment defeat us, we decided to build something together. Starting a business while navigating something so personal required a lot of resilience. There were moments of fear, stress, and uncertainty, but we kept moving forward.
Looking back now, that difficult chapter pushed us to create something positive. Seeing families come into our shop, watching kids light up when they see their desserts, and hearing customers say it made their day reminds us that the struggle was worth it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Opening Alien Cow Flavored Sno was the biggest pivot our family ever made. Before this, owning a dessert shop wasn’t part of our plan at all.
While visiting our daughter at college in Tennessee, we discovered a Korean-style dessert called sno cream. The texture was completely different from anything we had experienced before, and it sparked an idea.
That moment eventually led us to create two signature desserts: our lactose-free Sno Cream topped with fun American-style treats, and our Flavored Sno, our twist on shaved ice where the flavor is built directly into the ice before it’s shaved.
What started as a life pivot during a difficult time turned into a business that brings creativity, fun, and joy to our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aliencowsno.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliencowflavoredsno?igsh=eWY2Nmc2MjdxbWVh
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18GEZ7z1cs/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Aliencowsno
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@aliencowsno?si=GN0AZSdcGciWScJF
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alien-cow-flavored-sno-moncks-corner
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aliencowsno?_r=1&_t=ZP-94RDwe2BvtX
Image Credits
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