The Ice Cream Queen Mister Softee Franchise has become a very popular franchise over the years. People love soft serve and the variety of flavors. There are many things you should know if you are interested in entering the business. You should have an understanding of the origins of the franchise, the franchise conventions, the turf wars, and the movies.
Origins
One of the largest soft serve ice cream franchises in the United States is Mister Softee. It was founded by two brothers in 1956. They started a business that spawned an entire industry.
The company has grown to a global empire, with 350 franchises and 625 trucks operating in 18 states. The company is expanding into China.
Mister Softee was founded in 1950 by two Irish-American brothers who opened a garage in West Philadelphia. James and William Conway borrowed money from their uncle who was a successful Philadelphia restaurateur.
During the 1960s, the Conways built a machine that was designed specifically for trucks. The machines are still being manufactured today.
The ice cream industry was dominated at the time by European immigrants who were skilled in making smooth and creamy sorbets. Many of the first ice cream trucks were wooden wagons, which were sold by the hand.
Franchisee conventions
Mister Softee is America’s oldest and most established franchise of soft icecream trucks. They began as a novelty, but today they are an icon.
The company is owned by three generations of the Conway family. They have been in the business for more than fifty years. Their headquarters are located in Runnemede, New Jersey. The offices have wood paneled walls and feature photos and posters from trade conventions in the ’50s.
Mister Softee had over 1,000 trucks operating across the country in the 1960s. The company’s owners lost control of 16 franchises to Dimitrios Tsirkos by the mid 1980s. Tsirkos owned a controlling interest (16 of the trucks), but the company stopped paying royalties to them. This is just one example of the bruising competition faced by the Mister Softee franchise.
Mister Softee also had a complex turf war with its competitor, the New York Ice Cream Co. Both companies share similar roots. Immigrants from Italy helped create the booming ice cream industry in the United States.
Turf wars
Until recently, Mister Softee trucks were spotted in hundreds of locations all across the country. They still operate in 15 states, though their number has decreased to about 600.
In recent years, there have been several controversies involving Mister Softee and their rivals. One of the more interesting of these was a Mister Softee driver who was allegedly blown up by a rival. He was ordered to pay almost $500,000 in legal fees.
Another high profile case involved a rogue ice cream truck that attempted to start a new business in midtown Manhattan under the name Master Softee. It used a similar color scheme as Mister Softee’s.
A rogue ice cream truck operated by former Mister Softee employees recently started attacking their rival’s staff. The vehicle’s owner, known as “Cruz”, has been involved in multiple altercations.
Turf wars are nothing new to the frozen yogurt industry. These disputes have become more serious in recent years. Despite their popularity, these competitions are not always reported to police.
Movies
A rivalry between two ice cream companies is playing out on the streets of Manhattan. The rivals are fighting for the tourist trade, and a number of classic gangland drama elements are evident.
Although the vending machines have been in business for more than fifty years, the slums of inner city Victorian neighborhoods were destroyed by the vending trucks in the mid-sixties. The business has grown to be profitable and the vending machines have come a long ways from their days as boardwalk stands. Soft-serve ice cream has been offered by many restaurants and is now available at several boutique bakeries.
One of the most popular movies featuring Mister Softee is After Hours, starring Martin Scorcese. Catherine O’Hara plays the role of a vigilante mob leader, who chases down a Manhattan computer operator. Chris Tucker plays the local ice cream man and sells more than strawberry sundaes.
Aside from the fact that this movie is an utterly terrible movie, it does feature a song that was originally written by Les Waas in 1960, and is now owned by Mister Softee. As a result, it is one of the few movies that contains an original song.
