BoxPop® Churns Out Sweet Mobile Ice Cream Trailer for Ben & Jerry’s

Washington, DC

Situation

A dripping ice cream cone in hand is the unmistakable symbol of summer. A universal treat, we all scream (ok, get reasonably excited) for ice cream. Pair that with a waterfront view and it’s the idyllic image of summer relaxation. And that’s the exact atmosphere Ben & Jerry’s sought to capture with a satellite ice cream shop at the National Harbor in Washington DC.

Renowned for their beloved flagship flavors and fun-loving brand, the idea was to blend Ben & Jerry’s with the carousel, Ferris wheel and care-free mood of this promenade along the Potomac. Requiring a durable and self-sustaining structure that could house a full ice cream operation, Ben & Jerry’s franchise owner Karen Morse contacted BoxPop® for a sweet solution.

Solution

The BoxPop® team started with a single 20’ container as the base platform. For the main service window, a massive flip-up door with support struts was cut and installed along the length of the container with a smaller flip-up opening on the end for a pick-up window. Each opening was fitted with sleek fold-down countertops that could be stowed when it was time to securely close-up shop.

For the interior, the container was wired and plumbed for seamless utility hook-up and outfitted with a full ensemble of coolers and kitchen equipment. The exterior was coated in a neutral white paint, with massive Ben & Jerry’s tie-dye graphics adorning the outside of each service window.

For the cherry on top, a roof top deck! Accessible by a staircase at the rear, ice-cream lovers could ascend and enjoy their frozen treats and gaze out upon the river frontage. Finally, the entire package was affixed with towing equipment, rolling castors and hydraulic legs to make the transportation, installation, and stabilization effortless.

Impact

The finished product was a bright and tasteful ice cream stand befitting the Ben & Jerry’s brand. “I decided to come up with a new concept for a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop,” said Karen Morse, DC Ben & Jerry’s owner and franchisee. “After looking around I decided to use BoxPop to build my new shop from a container.”

As Morse notes, BoxPop™ helped facilitate every step of the process for an effortless experience. “These guys [BoxPop® team] knew exactly what they were doing…The design and planning stages were handled quickly and professionally.  Communication with the designers was excellent and they were very easy to work with!”

“The build was delivered on time and every detail was done exactly as ordered,” continued Morse. “Our container was such a hit with our customers!  Looking for another place to set up another one!”