When I came across Mrs. Sprinkles profile, I was amazed at her tiny food truck! It’s been over 10 years since I began working with food trucks, and I’ve never seen someone convert a mail truck into an ice cream truck. I had to know her story, so of course I scheduled some time to introduce myself to her and chat! Here’s Amanda’s story.
Instagram: MrsSprinklesIceCream Facebook: MrsSprinklesIceCream City/State: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Amanda, before we start.. I have to ask– how tall are you? I am 5’9’, and it does not look like I stand on your food truck!
Ha!!! You are right! This truck was not designed for anyone tall. I look tall in my pictures, but I’m actually 5’1”, so I can fit 🙂.
Ahh! It’s sooo cute, and I’d love to see it one day – but clearly I wouldn’t be able to get onto the truck. Now tell me this, what is the make and model of the truck? It is a 1984 Postal Truck.
Too stinkin’ cute! Now, tell me about your journey! How did you get into the food truck industry?
I’ve been in the service industry working as a bartender for years. I’ve actually worked at the same local bar for 11 years. My personality was simply too bright to work behind the bar, and people often mentioned that I should own my own business. I’ve always been creative, so I’d present the owner of the bar with creative ideas, and the owner would shoot them down.
I’m the type of person who would look for the “fun” restaurants to visit when traveling – fun dessert shops, fun anything! Eventually, I decided that I wanted to open a bar, but obtaining a liquor license was simply too much of a hassle.
One day I saw a breakfast food truck in California, and I loved their menu. They had fruity pebble french toast on the menu, and that sparked some ideas. So, I began looking for a truck.
My parents did NOT want me to waste money on a truck, so they had an idea. They told me if I really wanted a food truck then I should do the following: (1) create the entire menu; (2) invite the family over to order food (as if they were in an actual establishment); (3) allow the family to critique the food. While my family was there, I INSTANTLY realized that I do not want to do this! So, there went that idea! Lol!
Then I had the thought of selling hot dogs and nachos, but that idea went out of the window pretty quickly.
One day I was scrolling on Facebook Marketplace, and I saw an old ice cream truck. I thought to myself, “I am going to be the Ice Cream Lady!” I begged my dad to visit the truck with me. We went to see the truck, and my dad thought the truck looked terrible. I didn’t care. I purchased the truck anyway. The truck didn’t have any power steering or mirrors. There I am, sitting on the floorboard of the truck while my dad is driving, and I’m just hoping we can make it home. It was a rough ride!
We get the truck home, and I have a mechanic look at it. He tells me that I just bought a lemon. Clearly, I did not think things through. I had to have the engine replaced and other things– it was just so much work!
Wow! How much did you pay for the truck? And, how much were repairs? I bought the truck for $11,500. Let’s just say the repairs were pricey!
What all do you sell on Mrs. Sprinkles? Nostalgia forms of ice cream —and pup cups!
Oh cool! Where are you now in your food truck journey?
I purchased the truck in October 2020, and I had everything up and running – and officially designed by April 2021. I still have the truck, and I’ll continue to use her events. But, I got pregnant and I didn’t want to carry my daughter on a food truck all day – so, two weeks ago I opened an ice cream shop!
Amanda, I absolutely LOVE your story! I truly hope to make it to Albuquerque soon to pay you a visit!