It91裸聊视频檚 been a scorching summer across much of Canada, but that is cold comfort for ice cream truck operators like Meedo Falou, who says inflation and high fuel costs are melting away his profits.

On a sweltering Thursday morning, the owner of in Coquitlam, B.C., pores over a computer spreadsheet and talks to drivers about their routes.

Some flavours are in short supply, and Falou is focused on efficiency for his fleet of 10 trucks.

The problem is not just high gas prices, said Falou. 91裸聊视频淢aintenance went up. Truck parts went up. The mechanical parts went up,91裸聊视频� he said in an interview.

91裸聊视频淚ce cream went up over 60 per cent. We had to jack the price up by a dollar. We couldn91裸聊视频檛 do more because of the consumers. We just want them to be able to afford ice cream.91裸聊视频�

Steve Christensen, executive director of the North American Ice Cream Association, said vendors are facing a range of challenges.

91裸聊视频淕as prices are up,91裸聊视频� said Christensen, speaking from Missouri. 91裸聊视频淪o, a lot of everything 91裸聊视频� cones, cups, different things 91裸聊视频� anything that needs to be delivered by truck has gone up in price as well.91裸聊视频�

Ice cream prices usually go up three to five per cent a year, Christensen said.

But he said this year, prices are up 10 to 15 per cent, although that might not be across the entire menu.

Falou said he has tried to keep prices in check.

91裸聊视频淵ou don91裸聊视频檛 make in this business a profit on just one piece,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淵ou make a profit on volumes too. I want (people) to be able to afford to buy ice cream from the ice cream truck. I don91裸聊视频檛 want to give that bad image that the ice cream truck is so expensive, you know.91裸聊视频�

Falou is hoping to 91裸聊视频渕ake just a little bit91裸聊视频� without having to dip into his savings as he did during the past two years of the pandemic.

It91裸聊视频檚 been a tough year, said Falou, who shuts Rainbow Ice Cream from the end of September to April each year.

91裸聊视频淲e were hit by bad weather in the spring. It was the wettest weather in June. So that affects our sales big time. And definitely the profit is a lot less than the previous years.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 not just local weather. Global climate events affect the ice cream business too, Christensen said.

For example, Madagascar provides about 70 per cent of the world91裸聊视频檚 vanilla, and when there91裸聊视频檚 a storm there, or a short flowering season, it affects the global market.

91裸聊视频淲hich again, you know, affects ice cream,91裸聊视频� he said.

Christensen said old-school ice cream truck vendors are also having to deal with new challenges such as delivery apps and rivals in so-called 91裸聊视频済host kitchens91裸聊视频� who lack a storefront but sell ice cream online.

91裸聊视频淭he overhead (for a ghost kitchen) is very inexpensive. They91裸聊视频檙e using social media to promote their ice cream, they91裸聊视频檙e selling it online and people are coming to pick it up from the kitchen or from a location.91裸聊视频�

Falou started out driving an ice cream truck in the 1990s, which he called the 91裸聊视频済olden days91裸聊视频� of the business. He said he made a lot more money then.

To overcome the obstacles of apps, weather, gas prices and inflation, Falou said he91裸聊视频檚 hoping there will be a comeback in corporate events and other scheduled bookings, which were cut back during the pandemic but are now returning.

91裸聊视频淲e did suffer,91裸聊视频� he said, shaking his head. 91裸聊视频淲e rely a lot on corporate events, birthday parties, parades and weddings and all that. So this year, they91裸聊视频檙e starting to come back. Some of them, not all of them. So hopefully next year we91裸聊视频檒l get them all back.91裸聊视频�

But gone are the days when an ice cream truck could drum up business by simply driving around and playing a happy tune, said Christensen.

91裸聊视频淚ce cream truck owners need to seek out catering opportunities, food truck events, go to office blocks and hospitals and say, 91裸聊视频楬ey, we can put on a corporate event for you,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淭hey need to hustle now a little more than probably they ever had before.91裸聊视频�

Christensen recalled his first exposure to the ice cream business, listening as a child for the traditional jingle of the truck in his home country of Australia.

91裸聊视频淎nd little Steve Christensen goes and gets some money from Mum91裸聊视频檚 dresser and goes out and buys the cone with a Flake in it,91裸聊视频� he said with a laugh.

91裸聊视频淚 would like to think that people still love those experiences. So, the process of supporting your local ice cream van, I think, is very important because it keeps those memories alive for kids these days.91裸聊视频�

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

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