GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A beloved ice cream truck is back in action after neighbors of the original owner saved it from being sold off.
Thibby’s Ice Cream has been around since 2003. In 2017, Bob Patterson and Terri Larson took over. But last year, things weren’t going so well.
Melissa Duncan says it was September of 2021 when she learned the truck might be going up for sale.
“When Bob posted on Facebook about possibly shutting it down, there were hundreds of comments of ‘Oh my gosh, we’re so sad to see that,'” Duncan told WTAQ News. “We talked to him again in April and he was like ‘I’m going to have to shut down the truck because nobody’s buying it.’ And we were like, we can’t let that happen! Everybody loves the ice cream truck! So my husband and I talked about it, moved some things around, and decided to go for it.”
And off they went – with zero experience working in, much less running an ice cream truck, the Duncan’s took over. A former hygienist in the military and stay at home mom, Melissa says it’s definitely something new.
“It’s the only job I’ve ever had where people are so excited to see you!” Duncan laughed.
Thibby’s Ice Cream Owner, Melissa Duncan, reaches into a freezer to grab an ice cream sandwich. (WTAQ/Casey Nelson)
However, some work had to be done before actually putting rubber to the road. Melissa – along with her husband Jeremy, and their daughters – had to sit down and figure out exactly what they wanted to offer.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything. We were going through the inventory sheet that they sent us, and we were like kids in a candy shop – like do we want this? And we wrote it down. The kids also chimed in on how to build our menu and what we all wanted to add in here,” Duncan said.
The girls even help serve the ice cream.
Olivia Duncan takes orders from customers from the side of Thibby’s Ice Cream truck. (WTAQ/Casey Nelson)
They’ve now been at the helm for a few months, and Melissa is starting to get a hang of things. Her favorite part? The people.
“We have a blast! On the weekends, the drive around to different neighborhoods and houses and my kids will be sitting in the window and waving. Even if people don’t always buy ice cream, they love just being able to wave back to us and smile and just see something that you just don’t see anymore,” Duncan said. “I love the reaction I get from adults, just as well as kids. I get adults that’ll stop us shouting ‘Ice cream!’ They’re just so pumped about it…To bring back the nostalgia. There are so many people that we have met along the way and that like it. Even adults that are like, ‘this is my first ice cream truck ever!'”
And the people, well, they love Thibby’s. We made a few stops along the route with the truck on Tuesday.
“It’s awesome. It brings back the nostalgia of being a kid, especially with the music,” Nick said.
“It was a nice promotion. It gives us a chance to bring in family that doesn’t come in to the office that often,” said Mark. “Who doesn’t like the ice cream truck? It just brings back kid’s memories.”
“When I was in college, the ice cream truck would come around our college house and we’d all run out there because it’s the same as when we were children, and everyone loves ice cream,” Bailey said.
“I’m such a kid at heart. There was the ice cream truck driving by a graduation party the other day, and I sprinted out to the street. It was gone, but I mean, I love it,” Whitney said. “We’re all adults. We’re real estate professionals. And we get just as excited about ice cream as kids. It’s just cool that it brings everybody together.”
Thibby’s serves events around the area, and will even make corporate appearances.
“The ice cream truck is just a simple way for people to get excited about something or for people to come outside and gather. I do a lot of companies in the area, and they show appreciation for their employees,” Duncan said.
A woman is handed an ice cream bar from Thibby’s Ice Cream truck. (WTAQ/Casey Nelson)
But it’s not all about the money.
“Small businesses are what build the community, they’re what supports the community and are able to give back. We’ve done a couple events now where we’re able to donate our profits back to the companies,” Duncan said. “The tips that we get, we don’t hold on to those. We use them to treat the fire department and the local police officers, and just all of our local community heroes…Especially in recent years, it’s important to show that we do appreciate what they do. We appreciate that when everyone else is running out of a burning building, they’re running into it. For police officers running towards the gunfire while everyone else is running away. It’s important to show them how much we appreciate what they do in the community.”
With nearly two decades of history and a fairly successful first year under the new management, what is next for this ice cream venture?
“It absolutely crushes us when we have to tell people that we can’t accommodate their time or the date that they want us to come for birthday parties, graduations, even corporate events,” Duncan said. “So in the next year or two, we’re hoping to get another truck so that we can be able to [cover] more neighborhoods and be able to accommodate more bookings.”
Those are big dreams for a small truck, but they’ve got a little help navigating the business.
“John Thibodeau, the original owner, is actually a neighbor of ours. So the girls have grown up with this truck! Every day, pretty much and every summer, he would stop,” Duncan said. “This next year, it’s twenty years that Thibby’s has been in business. And John is just a house down from us, so anytime I have questions or anything, he’s just been fantastic.”
The ultimate goal for this crew is clear:
“Make Thibby’s a household name that everybody knows!” Duncan said.
You can learn more about the ice cream truck and how to book them on their website.
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