Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Sola.
Hi Fernando, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The best job in the world
My name is Fernando Sola and together with my wife Cristina and daughter Marbeli, owns an Ice Cream Truck named HAPPY FACES ICE CREAM.
I used to be the general manager for Al’s pizza at the Riverside location, and one day in 2010, I had to cover the manager of the San Pablo location for a few days.
Next to that location, there was a bar that used to open in the afternoon, so the mail man used to leave the mail at the pizzeria, and one day when a brought the mail to the bar, started talking to one of the costumers that used to drive an old ice cream truck.
Even if I never imaging been in that kind of business before, I talked with my wife Cristina and daughter Marbeli about it, and we thought it would be interesting to try something new!
So, we started to look for an ice cream truck for sale nationwide and found a very colorful one in Ohio, we bought it and that’s how we started this wonderful business.
After 15 years, I still enjoy been an Ice Cream Man, as the first day!
It is a MAGIC EXPERIENCE, driving an ice cream truck, it creates a Happy Atmosphere not only with the kids that obviously love ice cream, but also with people in office buildings, construction sites, nursing homes, warehouses, community events, schools etc.
Our regular route includes Jax Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and the Mayport area, but we also go Everywhere for any kind of events.
Our prices are very affordable, $2, $3 and $4 dollars.
During 1997 and 1998, I drove from Alaska to Argentina (Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, which is the Largest Land Mass on Earth) in a Jeep Cherokee. It took me one year and 20 days and drove 55.000 miles, so driving for me is nothing new, and I love it!
During that Amazing Journey, I lived many wonderful experiences, specially one of them, in an area called “THE ZONE OF SILENCE”, in the north of Mexico, where I picked up a lot of METEORITES, and now I give them as presents to my costumers, I usually tell them, that I will give them a present ”literally” from “Out of this World” and show them my necklace with one of them. I also have a picture on the ice cream truck of me picking up Meteorites, next to a sing that reads: “ZONA DE METEORITOS” (Meteorite zone).
The combination of selling ice cream and giving Meteorites to my customers as presents is what makes me feel that this is, THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!
Fernando Sola
(904) 742-5268.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When you run a business with Love, Pasion and Dedication, the obstacles can be easily avoided, when it comes to challenges, our goal is to keep our prices affordable for everybody, is really comforting when people thank us for the low prices and that way they can buy ice creams and drinks for their children, as well as schools and companies that work with a limited budgets.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We carry the best brands in the ice cream business, like Good Humor, Blue Bunny, Rich’s Nestle, Popsicle, etc. That set us apart from many other ice cream trucks that buy their product in retail stores. They come to white/clear wrap paper not showing the brand name or ingredients. That can be harmful to people with allergies and it’s prohibited by law.
People recommend us for our prices, products, our distinctive music (Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Pink Panther and Mission: Impossible). During our 15 years in business our customers feel happy with the service we provide. It’s funny when they mention that they already have our number in their contact list.
What’s next?
Our future plans are keep expanding our business, to any kind of companies that would like to have an appreciation day for their employees, schools that celebrates children achievements, nursing homes that would like to have an ice cream day for the seniors, all kinds of communities events, and any other business that would like to bring ICE CREAM AND HAPPY FACES to their event by contact us !!!
Pricing:
- $2
- $3
- $4
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.happyfaces.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyfacesicecream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happyfacesicecream
