Ice cream truck comes to town!

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Newcastle welcomed a new business venture to town at the end of June when high school sophomore Shelby Tidyman got her ice cream truck up and running. Because Newcastle doesn’t offer much for ice cream places, Tidyman said, she decided that it was time to bring some options to the community. 
A long-time ice cream enthusiast, Tidyman said she thought that the ice cream truck would be a perfect way to make college money through one of her favorite things. 
“I’ve been a big ice cream fan my whole life,” Tidyman said. 
Getting started has come after a lot of hard work and preparation, according to Tidyman. When the idea first hit her in about November, she started looking for a truck. She eventually found a 1973 truck advertised on Facebook marketplace and headed to Rapid City to pick it up. Tidyman and her family hauled the truck back from Rapid City, because it wasn’t in working order at the time. 
“We redid pretty much the entire truck,” Tidyman said. She worked on it for about two months — painting it, cleaning the inside, getting it running — something that was a challenge to find time to do in addition to regular ranch work. Tidyman said that her mom, dad and brothers all helped her get the truck in running shape. 
Tidyman also had to figure out where to get her ice cream, and she had to get a health inspection. After figuring out her ice cream supply, she got her inventory set up – selling ice cream and popsicles. 
Although Tidyman doesn’t have a specific route, she said, she’s going to try to get to town every Tuesday. Each day she comes, she’ll figure out what route works best for that day and post it on her Facebook page, S.M.T’s Delights — a name derived from her initials (Shelby Marae Tidyman). Tidyman also has an Instagram account (@smtsdelights), and she is on an app called Frucks, where her truck can be tracked in real time so customers can know when to expect her. She can be contacted through her social media sites for route suggestions, and she said she tries to hit as many neighborhoods as she can.  
Startup costs were pretty hefty, Tidyman said, and her goal is to get it all earned back by the start of this school year. Then, next summer she can start seeing more of a profit. She hopes to continue the business throughout high school and even branch out eventually to Upton and Sundance. 
“It’s been quite the learning experience,” Tidyman said. 
Her favorite thing so far has been the interaction with people. She said that she enjoys seeing people’s different lifestyles and loves having a job that she enjoys. 
“One of my favorite parts is seeing the kids’ smiles,” Tidyman said, noting her desire to offer unforgettable memories to children, especially during this time.
Tidyman’s mom, Kelly, has seen her daughter work hard to make this happen, and she said she is proud of her. Tidyman took the initiative and put all her own money into the endeavor, and she’s hoping to use the money to save for college. 
“She has really looked forward to this and set her mind to it and achieved it,” Kelly said. “We are just here to support her and help her.” 
Kelly has had the opportunity to ride along with her daughter, and she said it has been an encouragement to her during this time too. 
“I love seeing all the smiling kids also,” Kelly said.