South Buffalo family's ice cream truck makes rounds in Alle-Kiski Valley
A South Buffalo family has a sweet new side hustle.
Cup and Cone Ice Cream, which the family operates from a van, kicked off its inaugural route June 6 in Buffalo Township.
Businessman Kent Snyder, 52, pitched the idea of an ice cream truck business to his wife, Mary, and daughters, Emerson, 14, and Allie, 11.
“I always wanted to start a family business, and we chose ice cream because it’s delicious and it makes good business sense,” Kent Snyder said. “It’s fast to serve and if we don’t have events booked, we can always just drive through neighborhoods.”
Cup and Cone’s routes include Leechburg, Vandergrift, Freeport, Sarver, Buffalo Township and Butler County.
“We try to hit every area at least once a week,” Kent Snyder said.
Mary, 47, is a veterinarian, and Kent owns a mobile glass business.
The couple are working out some kinks concerning business operations and naming rights.
The current name, Cup and Cone, is trademarked, so the Snyders recently applied for a new name: Curbside Cone. They’re awaiting the decision on the approval of that name.
The family hoped to open last summer, but covid-related issues prevented that.
“We bought the new truck in 2021 but couldn’t get the business off the ground because of the pandemic. It took almost a year to get a freezer due to supply chain issues,” Kent Snyder said.
Daughter Allie is the youngest Snyder employee, and she’s learning the ropes of customer service with her first job.
“It’s fun having an ice cream truck and going to my friends’ neighborhoods, plus the free ice cream doesn’t hurt,” Allie said.
Kent said most folks think they’re selling prepackaged ice cream, but what makes Cup and Cone unique is they serve a variety of scooped hard ice cream, mostly from Hershey’s Ice Cream and Betsy’s Homemade Ice Cream in Mt. Lebanon.
Jason Baker, 19, of Vandergrift was finishing up basketball practice Wednesday when he heard music coming from Cup and Cone.
“I was excited to hear that. It brings back good childhood memories,” Baker said. “It’s been years since I’ve seen an ice cream truck around here.”
The van broadcasts “The Entertainer,” the song seemingly used nationwide by ice cream trucks.
Vandergrift resident Kamdyn Pitts, 13, came running Wednesday when she heard and saw the truck cruising along Grant Avenue in downtown Vandergrift.
“I like how it tastes — like cookie dough,” said Kamdyn of her Pittsburgh Pride-flavored cone.
Cup and Cone offers small, free “pup cups” for dogs.
“The kids love it because they come running up,” said older daughter Emerson. “My favorite flavor is Pittsburgh Pride. It’s yellow cake batter ice cream with brownies and Oreo.”
The most popular flavors are Lil Blue Panda and Cotton Candy, Emerson said.
Additional flavors include vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, moose tracks, butter pecan, strawberry pretzel salad, midnite caramel river, Monongahela mud and playdough.
Toppings include chocolate chips, sprinkles and M&Ms.
One scoop costs $4, while two scoops is priced at $6. The ice cream can be served in a waffle or regular cone or cup.
Mary Snyder called the family’s new business a “grassroots” effort.
“We hit the ground running, and we’ve been getting most of our business by word of mouth and posting on the Freeport/Sarver Facebook pages,” she said.
The family hopes to add a business website and Facebook page in the coming weeks.
Another decision the family faces is what to do about selling ice cream during the winter months, Mary Snyder said.
“It’s still very early in the planning process. We’re thinking about how to move the business indoors for the winter months, because people love ice cream year-round,” she said. “They just don’t want to come to an outside event when it’s freezing cold outside and snowy.”
For the Snyders, sharing a business between sports obligations and work is a priority.
“It’s been rewarding watching our kids learn what it takes to run a business. They’re involved in its everyday operation,” Kent Snyder said. “Our goal is to grow the business and someday get another truck or a trailer.”
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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