Captain Ice Cream's Gigantor Blog

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Coming to Captain Ice Cream

Hello everyone!

Wow!, I learned a lot from my appearance on ABC's TV show, Shark Tank. I believe nearly 5 million viewers(!) watched my episode on January 29, 2010, but don't quote me on the numbers.

Talking with the sharks was enlightening, but I learned the most from talking to the hundreds of great people who called me after they watched the show. The response over the past month and a half has been incredible and the lessons learned have really helped me to alter the direction of my business to better serve potential customers.

Here's what I am going to do to steer the business in a better direction:

The single most important lesson I learned is that most people who want to start an ice cream vending business want to name their business themselves. In other words, they don't want to be, “the Captain Ice Cream of their town” like I anticipated. They want to be, “Dave's Ice Cream” or whatever. This simple fact changes my business model completely. Therefore, Captain Ice Cream will not become a franchise and Captain Ice Cream will not manufacture Captain Ice Cream-branded popsicles (soon, I will update this entire site/blog to reflect these changes).

Talking about freeing me up to do what I do best – that is, build vehicles. I'm going to simply build “blank” white ice cream mopeds for customers now. Therefore, there will be no franchise fees and no additional costs for the Captain Ice Cream branding. Customers will be able to name and letter their ice cream mopeds in whatever manner they wish. Captain Ice Cream (actually, my company, Modular Vehicles, Inc.) will manufacture ice cream mopeds. Period.

I been building fast cars for nearly thirty years and have been a car and truck magazine technical editor and photographer for over 23-years. I moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to begin my career as a car magazine editor and have been writing for mags since. The following pics are just two of the many cars I built over the past few years.

Captain Ice Cream's 1963 Chevrolet Biscayne (283 cu. in., Muncie M21 close-ratio 4-speed, 4.56 positraction).

Captain Ice Cream's 1967 Camaro RS (327 cu. in., Muncie M22 "Rock Crusher" 4-speed, 4.88 posi. 12-bolt).

To summarize: Captain Ice Cream is building brand-new ice cream mopeds and plans to have new bikes in stock for delivery by June 2010. All specs are the same as listed elsewhere on this site, except they will be painted white. The new retail cost of an ice cream moped will be $6995.00 Wow! That is nearly 1/2 the cost of the Captain Ice Cream franchise version!

Another benefit of having been on Shark Tank is that I now have an investor ready to fund the buildup of 100 ice cream mopeds at a time, if necessary. I am taking orders now. First come, first served. 50% deposit required with the balance due before shipping (F.O.B. Los Angeles). Call: (626) 716-7780 (hours of operation: Tues. – Fri., 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. P.S.T.)

Oh, and by the way, I will be the only Captain Ice Cream, for now. I can dig that.

2010 Captain Ice Cream Mopeds Coming Soon!

by Captain Ice Cream
Hello ice cream lovers of all ages! Now, you can have fun while earning income from the very first day of ownership of your Ice Cream Moped. And, you can do it at your own pace, on your own schedule! More importantly, the unique size of Captain Ice Cream's ice cream mopeds allow you to go where the other ice cream trucks can't go: deep into parks, farmer's market booths, parades, etc., etc., etc.

That's right, folks! Captain Ice Cream is the spokesperson for Modular Vehicles, Inc., which is currently developing its next generation of Ice Cream Mopeds. The 2010 Ice Cream Moped models will be available in the spring of 2010; just in time for the summer ice cream vending season! Order yours now to insure your place in line... Note: click on any image to enlarge it.

The 2010 Ice Cream Mopeds feature a cold-plate freezer that holds approximately 500-600 novelty ice cream treats. Simply plug the freezer into any standard 110-volt outlet at night and its internal temperature will drop down to -15°F. Unplug the unit and you are now ready to sell! The freezer will maintain 0°F for 6 to 8 hours in 100°+F temperatures.

The 2010 Ice Cream Moped models feature a convenient freezer locking bar as standard equipment. Lock doubles as helmet lock when vending ice cream treats. An 11" x 17" dry erase board sign with suction cup mounting is optional.
When available, vintage ice cream truck bells are optional. Fishing line provides "old school" remote control for ringing bells remotely. Bells stop kids in their tracks.

Standard umbrella mounting bracket provides safe and secure mounting for standard 1-1/2"-diameter umbrella poles (beautiful Captain Ice Cream red and blue screen-printed white vinyl tilting umbrella included in purchase price). Two "thumb screws" lock pole into bracket.

The 2010 Ice Cream Moped models are based on the Tomos ST moped. Tomos are regarded as the world's highest-quality mopeds – and Captain Ice Cream agrees! Tomos ST models feature an oil injection system. Just add gas, check the oil, unplug the freezer and go!

Every 2010 Ice Cream Moped model comes custom-painted in "Ice Cream White", including front wheel.

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (M.S.R.P.) is $12,495.00 Freight On Board (F.O.B.) Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Note: price includes a one-year Captain Ice Cream franchise fee ($2495.00), four Captain Ice Cream billboards (one for each side of the freezer box) and one sheet of blue reflective-vinyl stars.

Call Captain Ice Cream at: (626) 716-7780 or Email him at: CaptainIceCream@gmail.com
(Hours of operation: Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. P.S.T.)

Captain Ice Cream says, "Ice Cream Mopeds are an excellent investment. Reliable, sturdy and easy to ride, they will instantly draw curious on-lookers and generate continuous cash-flow from the first day of ownership. Plus, they get over 100 miles per gallon!"

The following are optional at additional cost based on availability: 11" x 17" dry erase boards, umbrella brackets, vintage ice cream truck bells, handlebar thumb-bells, vintage radio holders and radios.

Place your deposit* now for a 2010 Ice Cream Moped as they will be delivered on a first come, first served basis.

*50% deposit required. Cashiers check, U.S. Post Office or bank Money Orders are preferred. Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discovery cards will also be accepted. 4% additional charge added to credit card purchases only to cover additional fees.

The end, my friend.