You’ve seen these ice cream trucks in Atlanta — old, beat-up vans covered haphazardly in stickers that bear warning signs like “WATCH FOR CHILDREN” and “PURCHASE FROM CURB SIDE ONLY.” They often play the kiddie song “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” It’s a tune that might be associated more closely these days with “Chain Hang Low,” the 2006 ringtone sensation by one-hit-wonder rapper Jibbs.
You may have driven by the intersection of Howell Mill Road and Defoor Avenue in west Midtown, where some of those ice cream trucks are based. If you were shocked to see all those shabby vans lined up in neat rows, you’re not alone. The first time I saw the distribution hub, I thought, “Wait, there’s more than one of those ice cream trucks?”
In fact, there are dozens of those ice cream trucks in town, about 50 of which are owned by Frosty Treats Inc. Technically operating as a distributor, its ice cream truck empire stretches from Georgia to Texas, and as far north as Iowa. The company, which has been in business for more than 20 years, does have some competition in Atlanta. Another company called Atlanta Ice Cream Trucks has a fleet of similar, if slightly newer-looking, trucks that cover the metro area as well.
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