how to find an ice cream man

January 15, 2007 2:17 PM

I need to find an Ice cream man (man with an ice cream truck)... to provide products for my 3 yr old son's birthday party in west central Florida for this Saturday. I can't find any listings in the yellow pages, and Google seems a bit worthless regarding this. Any ideas?

the party is in Tarpon springs, FL.
I don't want to carry anything frozen in a cooler, as it's being held at a public park...will mostly likely melt, and it's much easier and better if the kids can pick an ice cream they want off a truck.
I did this last year at my daughters party, but that guy has disappeared.
The local yellow pages has no such category other than ice cream suppliers/vendors/truck sales....

posted by foodybat to food & drink (8 comments total)

I'd see if the suppliers can give you a name.
posted by Good Brain at 2:55 PM on January 15, 2007

I love challenges. Ok, here's what I found: allscream.com. Might not hurt to call Liberty Ice Cream either. If they can't help you, maybe they can give you advice that will point you into the right direction.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:05 PM on January 15, 2007

What I'd do just about anywhere else in the country: call the local or county chamber of commerce. They'll almost surely steer you in the right direction. Also somebody at the local school district might know.

What I'd do in Tarpon Springs because I'm a goofy Greek and my people are not exactly rare either in the food service biz nor in that neck of the woods: ask around at the local restaurants/newsstands/delis. Almost certainly somebody's brother-in-law has a truck. Heck I'd even call a local Greek Orthodox church or two -- they likely have a supplier or two who's a parishioner or who helps out at the annual bazaar.
posted by Opposite George at 4:05 PM on January 15, 2007

Schwan's ice cream will deliver in 48 states. You do have to place the order in advance, though.
posted by mattbucher at 5:04 PM on January 15, 2007

Just a suggestion: My friends simply walked up to an ice cream truck one day and offered the ice cream man 50 bucks to bring them to their prom (at night when he was not working). He said, "sure" and their arrival still goes down in my high school's history as "coolest ride" (pun intended).
YMMV, but just try asking them, offering them a slight stipend to arrive at a certain time, and give them an estimate of how many ice creams they will sell. Good luck.
posted by nursegracer at 5:44 PM on January 15, 2007

Call the florida department of business and professional regulation and find out if there are any licensees for "mobile food dispensing vehicles" in the area. Also, call the park's administrative office. Often ice cream trucks will hang out in the park parking lots on weekends, perhaps they will know how to contact a truck or two.
posted by necessitas at 5:51 PM on January 15, 2007

Here is the florida listing from Allscream.
posted by filmgeek at 7:33 PM on January 15, 2007

Yet another eponysterical question?
posted by youarenothere at 4:51 PM on January 16, 2007