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New York Times:
For more than half a century, Mr. Softee has been as synonymous with New York summers as open fire hydrants, its blue and white trucks and instantly recognizable jingle enticing children in Washington Heights, Coney Island and neighborhoods in between.
New York being a tough town, Mr. Softee has also endured its share of bumps and bruises. It has fought about noise with the city, which no longer allows the company’s trucks to play its jingle while parked.
The company hired private detectives to spy on Mr. Softee impersonators, and Mr. Softee drivers have gotten into verbal and even hand-to-hand battle with rival ice cream vendors.
Along the way, this quintessential New York institution has pursued an unlikely road to globalization.
Photo: Jackson Lowen.