11. The Hot Cocoa Stand
Some rinks are about the skating. This one’s about the cocoa. I built a little stand at the edge of the rink with a striped awning, a counter full of mugs (flower pots, but don’t tell anyone), and a campfire underneath to keep everything warm. A menu board lists flavours — plain, mint, extra marshmallow — and stools wait for drinkers. The smell of the campfire, the steam, the lanterns… it’s the cosiest corner of the whole rink, and the queue is always longer than the skate line.