SANFORD, Maine – Pete Riendeau had two dreams, to own an ice cream shop and to own a vintage truck, and he found a way to achieve both at once.
He bought a classic Good Humor ice cream truck. Now, he and his wife, Geri, have their own business, Classic Memories Ice Cream.
The Riendeaus serve Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Sanford, Wells, Ogunquit, Arundel and York, among other surrounding communities. Their truck is a classic 1967 model, just like the one the Riendeaus saw one time at a Smithsonian museum during a trip to Washington, D.C.
"It’s so different," Riendeau said. "I didn’t want a basic ice cream van, a box truck. I wanted something unique. Vintage."
In 2017, Riendeau’s friend found the truck for him online, and the two of them drove down to Connecticut to buy it.
The vehicle needed some work, to say the least.
"It was a real basket case," Riendeau said. "It was in tough, tough shape."
Except for one crucial component: the freezer box. That was in "good shape, really good shape," he said.
Riendeau had the Good Humor truck towed back to Maine, and he brought it to Jesse Merrill at Presto Resto, then located in Arundel, to have it restored. The restoration took 21 months.
And it was worth the wait. Riendeau said it felt great to slip behind the wheel and take the truck on the road, and he and Geri even took it right away to a car show at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel. They won a trophy, Geri said.
The Riendeaus are not driving around local neighborhoods announcing their arrival with a classic tune on a loudspeaker and selling cones to kids – although they have found success visiting campgrounds in the area. Mainly, the Riendeaus cater, loading up the truck’s freezer with a variety of 17 ice cream treats and heading to weddings, birthday celebrations, car shows and other festive occasions. They dress the part, too: Pete suits up all in white, right up to the cap on his head, and slips a Sam Brown belt around his waist, just like the Good Humor men of yesteryear.
Classics, such as the strawberry shortcake and chocolate éclair treats, are among people’s favorites, according to the Riendeaus. Women, in particular, seem to like the Magnum Double Caramel Ice Cream Bar, they added. Children enjoy icy treats that come in the shape of SpongeBob SquarePants and the Minions from the "Despicable Me" movies.
Thibodeau’s Ice, of Saco, supplies the goods, delivering them right to the Riendeaus’ home in South Sanford. The couple keeps the ice cream in a large freezer in their basement. They keep the truck in their barn, plugging it in to get the freezer down to minus 18 or 20 degrees.
The truck’s freezer, by the way, is a big hit with people, according to Riendeau – or, rather, its door is. One afternoon last week, Riendeau opened the freezer door, paused, and then closed it just so. The door made a certain "thunk" as it latched. Riendeau smiled.
"The thud, the sound of it, it’s like a safe," he said. "And people remember that as a kid."
The Riendeaus featured the truck in Sanford’s Fourth of July Parade in 2019. Pete took the wheel, and Geri walked alongside, waving to the crowds along Main Street. They spotted one woman who appeared visibly moved by the site of their truck.
"Bring back memories?" Riendeau called out to the woman, who nodded.
According to Riendeau, the woman later tracked down Classic Memories Ice Cream on its Facebook page and posted that she had become overwhelmed when she heard the truck’s old-fashioned bells clang during the parade.
"She said it brought her back to a simpler time in her life," Riendeau said.
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