Rock Falls siblings owned small business at an early age

Anna Sosi and her brother, Luigi, give new meaning to the term “young entrepreneurs.”

They have been a part of the Rock Falls business community since they were children.

Anna and Luigi are the owners of Kokomo’s shaved ice. Their parents are Tony and Jill Sosi of Rock Falls.

Anna tells the story of how they bought Kokomo’s. They had been saving money for a while for college. They earned their money delivering the Daily Gazette in Sterling. “My brother was ‘Carrier of the Year’ once,” Anna proudly said.

Then when Kokomo’s went up for sale, their father suggested they buy it.

“So, we did – with the money we had saved for college,” Anna said. “I was in fifth-grade and Luigi in eighth, ages 10 and 13, when we bought Kokomo’s in the winter of 1999. Then we opened in the summer of 2000, at the ages of 11 and 14.”

Kokomo’s was a shaved ice stand that sold 30 flavors. Anna and Luigi added more shaved ice flavors, Italian beef sandwiches, and Chicago-style hot dogs.

“We were open after school and weekends,” Anna said. “Now we are just open in the summer, since we are away at college.”

But they have a growing business. They turned the shed they were using into a kitchen and they take their food to a few area festivals, such as Grand Detour, in the summer.

Anna said Kokomo’s features homemade Italian sausage. “We use our Uncle Leo’s Italian sausage recipe, on homemade bread designed to be crispy and crunchy, but still have the ability to soak up all the delicious juices.”

The bread is baked daily and topped with sautéed green bell peppers and onion and Kokomo’s homemade Italian olive salad.

“Everything is made with care and love, to ensure a smiling customer from the first bite to the last,” Anna said.

Kokomo’s authentic Chicago dog is made with a Vienna beef hot dog, tomatoes, pickle, relish, onion, sport peppers, mustard (no ketchup), and celery salt, all on top of a steamed sesame seed bun.

Anna said the business has been pretty much their responsibility, but their parents have helped out when they could. They have a few summer employees. “We try to pick younger kids, to give them the same opportunity we had and to give back to the community. We give to charities,” she said.