I stopped bartending full-time to sell ice. My company now makes nearly $3 million a year, catering to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City.

Richard Boccato launched his ice business in 2011.

Business Insider

• Richard Boccato says one of the important and overlooked ingredients in a cocktail is the ice.
• His passion for making high-quality cocktails in NYC led him to co-launch his own ice business in 2011.
• This article is part of "Going for Growth," a series about small-business owners scaling their companies sustainably.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Richard Boccato, owner and operator of Hundredweight Ice in Queens...