Mister Softee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mister Softee | |
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| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Headquarters | Runnemede, New Jersey, United States |
| Industry | Ice cream |
| Products | Ice cream |
| Website | http://www.mistersoftee.com/ http://www.mistersofteeny.com/ |
Mister Softee is a United States-based ice cream truck franchisor popular in the Northeast. It was founded by William and James Conway (Oct. 30, 1927 - May 28, 2006) [1] in 1956 in Philadelphia. It is the largest franchisor of soft ice cream in the United States. It has about 350 franchisees operating 600 trucks in 15 states. The company is headquartered in Runnemede, New Jersey. It is still run by the Conway family; James Conway, Jr. is now President.
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[edit] Mister Softee Jingle
The jingle played by Mister Softee trucks is instrumental and created in 1960 by Les Waas [2], but according to the New York Times, the lyrics are as follows:
- "The creamiest, dreamiest soft ice cream,
- You get from Mister Softee.
- For a refreshing delight supreme,
- Look for Mister Softee.
- Milkshakes and my sundaes and cones are such a treat,
- Listen for my store on wheels, ding-a-ling down the street.
- The creamiest, dreamiest soft ice cream,
- You get from Mister Softee.
- For a refreshing delight supreme,
- Look for Mister Softee.
- S-O-F-T Double 'E', Mister Softee."
It is written in E-flat major with 6/8 time. In New York City, the trucks can only play the jingle while moving, to reduce noise [3].
A copy of the sheet music and all the words can be found on the Mister Softee webpage.
[edit] Mister Softee in China
In 2007 Mister Softee established its first ice cream truck and ice cream shop in Mainland China located in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Mister Softee Chinais operated by Alex Conway, grandson of James Conway, and Turner Sparks. In 2008 Mister Softee China plans to begin expanding its core business and franchising throughout China's eastern region.
Mister Softee China has created a menu that combines its classic American products of shakes, floats and sundaes with new Chinese products such as green tea ice cream, red bean ice cream, kiwi sundaes and milk tea floats.
The key to Mister Softee's success in China has been its ability to adapt its product to local tastes while maintaining a strong connection to the strong traditions of the Mister Softee brand. Mister Softee China prides itself on ability and desire to bring the best of high-quality American ice cream to the Chinese people.
While its American counterpart operates almost exclusively with trucks, Mister Softee China has kiosks in downtown shopping areas and trucks throughout China's ever expanding suburban neighborhoods and business districts.
[edit] Mister Softee in Hong Kong
 
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Mister Softee is also popular in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Mister Softee (Chinese: 富豪雪糕), owned by the Ng Enterprises Ltd., consists of a number of ice cream trucks. The red-white-blue outlook of the trucks, and the Blue Danube played by them, are part of the collective memory of many Hong Kongers.
The first truck, which had been imported from England, began to operate in 1970. Today the company has 14 ice cream vans running on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. The headquarters of the company is located in Fo Tan.
As the Hong Kong Government has stopped the issue of new hawking licenses since 1978, and the existing licenses cannot be transferred to other vehicles, the old trucks are still running on the roads of Hong Kong. Each van, as required by the law, comprises a soft ice cream making machine, a basin, and two refrigerators.
The trucks sell only four products:
- soft ice cream (vanilla is the only flavour, though the cone is made of chocolate)
- nutty drumstick
- Large Cups (Chinese: 蓮花杯 "lotus cups")
- Jumbo Orange (Chinese: 珍寶橙冰), a kind of sherbet).
The red-white-blue vans also began to be seen in Shanghai in 1994, and number to 18 as in August 2005.
[edit] Mister Softee in film
- A Mister Softee truck driven by Gail (Catherine O'Hara) was a key device in the Martin Scorsese film After Hours.
- Mister Softee was also referenced in Eddie Murphy's stand-up comedy film, Delirious. During a skit about ice cream, Murphy recites the famous Mist Softee jingle.
