Sweet Tooth Ice Cream has returned for its 19th season with its red, white and blue ice cream truck dubbed “Sweetie 3” and an expanded menu of offerings.
Now dishing up 48 items, the ice cream truck will operate in the Battle Ground, Hockinson, Brush Prairie and Yacolt areas through October.
Co-owner Scott Wessa said the truck had 35 to 40 items on hand before they increased what they carry this season. The items range in price up to $5.
“The prices I’m paying for the same items are up 30% from 2020 in three years, which is high,” Wessa said. “That’s really high in comparison, which shows the inflationary effect we’ve had.”
He said that despite the increase in product and fuel costs, Sweet Tooth always tries to have a $1 item on hand.
“Back in the day, we used to have 25 cent items,” Wessa said.
The most popular item on the menu is a strawberry shortcake ice cream. Several of the ice cream bars were sold to eager kids in Battle Ground’s Crystal Springs neighborhood on Friday, April 14.
Wessa said the neighborhoods north of Main Street in Battle Ground are usually serviced by Sweet Tooth on Thursdays and Sundays.
As the population in Battle Ground grows, Wessa said they hope to fit some new neighborhoods into their regular routes this year, a process which takes time to develop.
Along with the Sweetie 3 truck, Wessa and his wife, Kim, operate an ice cream boat. The ice cream boat will be back for its 13th season this summer. It will pull up to beaches along the Columbia and Willamette rivers in the area.
Sweet Tooth also serves its frozen treats at a wide variety of events like camps, school events, weddings and little league games. They also teach lessons on business.
On Friday, April 14, Wessa and his wife taught kindergarteners the basics of business with their ice cream truck in Vancouver.
Sweet Tooth Ice Cream also features a pay-it-forward jar. The tip money in the jar ensures no child goes without ice cream and is used to pay the difference if a kid is short on cash.
This season, Sweet Tooth will operate from 1 to 8 p.m. on a daily basis.
It will be in the Glenwood area around Prairie High School on Mondays. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the truck can be found in the southern portion of Hockinson, while on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the truck operates in Battle Ground south of Main Street. On Thursdays and Sundays, the truck can be found in Battle Ground north of Main Street and in Yacolt.
To find out more information or to schedule Sweet Tooth for an event, call 360-798-0475. The business can also be found on Facebook by searching Sweet Tooth Ice Cream.
