On-demand ice cream trucks expand to Las Vegas Valley
First, nightclubs. Then, Thai food. Now: cones, shakes and sundaes.
Lou Abin, a former partner in Tao Group Hospitality and co-owner of Lotus of Siam in Red Rock Resort (plus big kahuna of several other Las Vegas and New York City restaurants), is getting into the ice cream business.
Abin and his business partner John Sumas, CEO of Village Super Market of New Jersey, are launching Scream Truck in Vegas and Henderson. The launch is an expansion of this tech-driven ice cream truck startup that debuted in New Jersey in 2021 and now has more than 100,000 registered users across 175 towns in the northern part of the state, according to a Thursday announcement.
Registered users of Scream Truck receive a text when a truck is scheduled to be in their neighborhoods, allowing them to order and pay for ice cream and reserve a future stop at their homes, where the cones, shakes and sundaes are made right in the truck. Scream software creates the best routes for the trucks to serve efficiently as many customers as possible.
On the menu
This tech-driven, on-demand model is “not an old-fashioned truck driving around ringing a bell and hoping to find a group of kids,” Abin said. “This is a modern version of the ice cream truck.”
Plans call for the business partners, through their Vegas-based Ironbound Projects company, to launch about 10 to 15 Scream Trucks in the valley by the end of 2026, according the announcement. Growth in registered users and orders placed means trucks can make more frequent visits to more neighborhoods, Abin said.
Scream Truck offers soft-serve ice cream, Ghirardelli sauces, artisan waffle cones from The Konery of Brooklyn, topping favorites and nondairy options, all backed by customizable LED screens and a sound system playing family-friendly tracks.
Plans also call for Scream Truck in Vegas to arrive for parties, corporate events and other gatherings. Visit app.screamtruck.com/customers/sign_up.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
