The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 3, 2009

Electric ice cream truck prowls streets

It's a cool summer occupation

By Dan Nienaber

NORTH MANKATO — Four young girls enjoying a pool party in Jodi Gager’s backyard had no idea what to do as the bright green truck passed, playing carnival music.

They just stood on the sidewalk and watched, confused by the crazy-looking vehicle with a freezer in back.

“They’d never seen an ice cream truck before,” Gager said. “They heard the music and went over to watch, but they didn’t know what to do.

“Me, I could hear the music 10 minutes ago and knew exactly what was going on. I have great memories of the ice cream truck going through my neighborhood when I was a kid.”

Unfortunately for the girls, Gager didn’t have any cash on hand. They’ll have to wait until the next time Natalie Hughes, owner of Zip Zap Ice Cream, rolls through their North Mankato neighborhood.

“I think I’m going to have to squirrel some money away for when she comes again,” Gager said.

Hughes has been hitting the streets with her Zip Zap Ice Cream machine for about a month, but she has been dreaming about starting the business for two years. The chance to get started came when she found her three-wheeled, electric powered Xebra truck, made by the California-based ZAP company, on eBay.

She works as a special education paraprofessional at Mankato’s Early Childhood Center during the school year.

“This is just something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hughes said. “I thought it would be a great summer job.”

After getting her ZAP truck (ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution) shipped from California, Hughes added a canopy for the back and a freezer, which is powered by a Honda gas-powered electric generator. The green flames weren’t her idea, they were already on the truck.

She also had to get a food license through the state but isn’t required to have a peddler’s license in Mankato or North Mankato because she isn’t knocking on doors.

Hughes didn’t want to reveal the total amount she’s invested.

“Needless to say it’s going to take a lot of ice cream to pay for it all,” she said.

The reward isn’t all financial, Hughes said. She enjoys watching the smiles on children’s faces as they trade a dollar or two for a frozen treat.

“And the adults are just as excited as the kids are because they remember ice cream trucks from their childhood,” she said.

Tara Sikel and Tracy Malm’s kids, ranging in age from 5 to 7, knew exactly what to do when Hughes rolled by. They had been tipped off by neighbors up the street who had already bought a round of treats.

“They came running home, “It’s a dollar, we need a dollar,’” Sikel said.

The trip to the ice cream truck also gave Sikel and Malm a chance to chat as their kids slurped on Icees. They were impressed by 5-year-old Jenna Sikel’s ability to cover her face in red.

“I remember having it all over my face, too, when I was younger because you just wanted to get to that ice cream,” Malm said.

The hot weather has helped Hughes, and trips to area softball and soccer games have paid off with dozens of sales at one time. She’s planning to work the North Mankato Fun Days Parade and other events.

Right now, Hughes’ business is limited by the distance her truck can travel on one charge. If she goes slow most of the time, she can travel about 30 miles before plugging in again. She’s looking for a garage space to rent in Mankato. She’s also considering buying a trailer to get the truck to festivals at other locations.

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