Jacksonville Food Trucks: 3Moms Ice Cream Truck

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Bar

21. Do you operate year round?

We're still working that out. Although we've been year round it's definitely less busy in the winter. If we produce our own line of ice cream products we'll probably open a storefront and we'll be year round that way. Even though people don't always think of ice cream year round, it's still delicious even in the winter.

22. Who are the 3 Moms?

Sophia: It's me, Sophia, my mother, Nancy, and Jeff's mother, Nichol. Jeff is the one who spearheaded pulling us all together. Oftentimes Nicole or my mom will drive the truck and work at the corporate functions. Jeff and I do most of the behind-the-scenes work, although we all work on the truck at times.


The 3 Moms - Sophia Olson, Nancy Dohn and Nichol O'Malley

23. Why did you decide on an ice cream truck?

We came to Jacksonville from New York City where there are food trucks everywhere and seemingly on every corner. It's very common when you're working in New York City to pop out and get your lunch from a food truck. It's really an everyday thing. But there weren't very many ice cream trucks in New York. There were a few specialty ones that scooped ice cream and we loved them. Coming to Jacksonville and living near the beach where you can have ice cream nearly all year round, and also having a child, we wanted to do something fun.

Jeff: Sophia and I wanted to work together. One day we were at a park and an ice cream truck rolled by and it hit me that, as a parent, I didn't want my child to get food from that sort of truck. I talked to Sophia about it and she thought I was crazy. Then I bought a truck and she said "I guess we're going to do it."


Organic Strawberry Fruit Bar and Key Lime Graham Cracker Sandwich

24. What brought you from New York City to Jacksonville?

Sophia: I grew up in Gainesville and went off to have some adventures. My family's still in Gainesville and when I got pregnant we decided to come back down South. Jeff has a job that lets him work remotely.

25. Did you ever consider a brick and mortar ice cream shop or were you always attracted to a food truck?

We were always attracted to the truck. We're working on our own ice cream line and want to sell that from the truck.




26. Would your own ice cream brand focus on a healthier style of ice cream?

Yes. In this day and age especially we want to give our daughter the option of something that's delicious and also healthy.

Our initial focus will be on items like a lower sugar content ice cream that's as organic as possible and really high quality. We'll also experiment with dairy free options, using soy, rice and almond milks. We've been trying some interesting cross flavors like beet ice cream, free trade chocolate ice cream with organic coffee beans in it, and sweet potato ice cream. We've been using a lot of things we grow in our garden and that are local, unique or a little obscure. People will want to try it because it's not just vanilla.

Jeff: I come from New York where we had the coolest, craziest things like peanut butter ice cream with actual strips of bacon on a banana cookie. We had some really enthusiastic chefs there. I travel around the world for my profession of fashion photographer and get to sample all these really interesting tastes. I've been compiling an inventory of things that I love. As soon as I can sit down and start producing things, I'm going to. I figure that Jacksonville is very much a part of that. We already have farm to table. If we can really pull this off and do it organically and very nearby - everything has to come from within 50 miles of Jacksonville - I think we'll have a very successful little thing.

27. For your own brand, will you focus on scooped ice cream or on packaged treats?

We'd eventually like a line of scooped ice creams but we'll probably start with ice cream sandwich style treats. They're really popular and super cool because they're easy to pull out of a package and eat. They're also easier to manufacture than many of the bars that require specialty items and processes. From our experience selling in the truck we also know that for many people with multiple kids they can't imagine ice cream staying put in a cone - it always seems to end up on the floor. So a convenient package is very welcome. Our experience is leading us to think that having the convenience of something that can be easily managed with one hand without falling on the floor or melting all over is the way to go.  

28. When will 3Moms brand of ice cream be ready?

We're working on it and it should be ready soon.

29. Have there been any big surprises getting the truck going?

Jeff: There are always surprises. We've learned to adapt as the business evolves. Both Sophia and I have an entrepreneurial spirit and we don't get stuck for long. The biggest thing was going from New York City where we didn't have a car to having to drive around a truck for a living. It was mostly the mechanical things that were challenging - engines can blow in the middle of a really busy week! The other things were relatively easy. There's paperwork and a process and if you follow the process it's pretty straightforward.

30. What's the biggest thing you didn't expect when you launched the business?

Sophia: I'd say it was the corporate functions. When we opened we really thought we'd be more day-to-day street sales. We knew we'd be doing events but we didn't realize how big they'd be.

31. What's been the reaction to 3Moms? Has it been surprising?

It's been what we hoped it would be. We've both been in businesses before and knew there would be hurdles and ups and downs. But we've never owned this type of business and didn't know exactly what to expect. We went into it with goals and ideas and just put everything we had into trying to get there. One of our favorite events was at a Senior's Center in Ponte Vedra. We pulled up our truck and everyone just loved it. They really did.

32. What's next for 3Moms?

There are just so many events we're looking to be a part of. There's a huge opportunity to work with weddings and bridal showers. We're looking forward to doing a lot more private parties and branching that out to corporate and non-profit functions. We also like to do anything that helps kids, such as working with hospitals and helping kids or other people who have terminal illnesses. We think it's really, really important to support all that. Any event where people are incredibly happy, that's where we want to be. We just want to be a part of their happiness.

Longer term we've always had this idea of growing into areas like alternative toys - toys made without plastic and made locally. Also kids clothes and things like that. We've got this idea of maybe one day having a truck that's a mobile toy store or kids store. Something like that, built on the 3Moms brand, would be really cool.

33. Anything else?

Jeff: We started 3Moms based on the values of the moms - Nancy, Nichol and Sophia. They had such amazing values as parents and moms who wanted the best for their kids and the best for those around them. That's how it started, with the values these 3 women have and have bestowed upon those around them. We want to keep building on those values by delivering healthy, family friendly happiness every day.






About EatDrinkJax

EatDrinkJax.com is a local website showcasing Jacksonville area food and drink. Our mission is to go behind the scenes and talk to the people who make great food and drink happen. Ever wonder where the top food writers in Jacksonville like to eat? In addition to our interviews we also bring together hundreds of restaurant reviews from leading food writers in Jacksonville.EatDrinkJax.com is brimming with special features, such as our directory of more than 800 local restaurants and bars, complete with addresses, phone numbers and menus. We have a growing list of free restaurant coupons, and our own BLOG where we check out some of the places and things that delight us and are deserving of more attention.

About the writer

EatDrinkJax.com interviews are conducted by Jacksonville Beach resident Gerry Glynn. When Gerry isn't talking with restauranteurs he is working for a local software company, training for his next road race, and hanging out with his wife and dog.