If you've walked past Raising Cane's on a weekend this fall, you've probably seen him. Tyrone Redick, 17, is now Dinkytown's only outdoor squishy vendor. He runs a knick-knack stand on the corner of University Avenue Southeast and 15th Avenue Southeast from Friday through Sunday.
The stand sells squishies (the soft fidget toys), candy and toy dumplings. Redick buys his stock from a vendor who drives a van called "Squishy God," which is about as good a supplier name as Dinkytown has seen in a while.
He isn't new to selling. Redick started his first business at 9, selling fruit. He moved to Minnesota from Charlotte, North Carolina, 2 years ago to be closer to family, and he lives with his mother, 2 younger brothers and a younger sister.
"No one is forcing me to do this, at all," Redick said. "I do this because I love my family a lot, and I feel like I would be wrong if I didn't sell squishies, instead of, say, if I was out partying or hanging out with friends not making no money."
His biggest goal is buying his mother a house. "My mom never had a house or something for herself, so I help her out with that," he said. The closer goal is saving up for his siblings' Christmas presents. He also keeps an eye on his 7-year-old brother, who gets A's and B's: Redick makes sure he's dressed well and gets regular haircuts.
Faith runs through all of it. Redick said he listens to church music on the way to school and prays before meals and at bedtime. "That's the biggest part of life. If you don't have God in your life, it's not complete," he said.
He's already planning to expand. Redick has a small food truck, built to fit the width of a sidewalk, that he plans to use for coffee and smoothies. After he turns 18, he wants to become a streamer and content creator, and someday a millionaire. He'd also like to travel, to China for the technology or Russia for the snow, and to go snowboarding.
Until then, you'll find him on the corner by the chicken-finger line on weekends. If you need a stress toy before midterms, you know where to go.
